Chief Information Officer Open Recommendations: Department of Energy

What GAO Found

In May 2025, GAO identified nine open recommendations under the purview of the Department of Energy's Chief Information Officer (CIO) from previously issued work. Each of these recommendations relates to a GAO High-Risk area: (1) Ensuring the Cybersecurity of the Nation and (2) Improving IT Acquisitions and Management. In addition, GAO has designated two of the nine as priority recommendations.

For example, GAO previously recommended that the Department of Energy develop a cybersecurity risk management strategy to protect the department against cyber threats. GAO also recommended that the department implement procedures for comparing its inventories of active software licenses to purchased licenses to identify opportunities to reduce cost and improve investment decisions. The CIO's continued attention to these recommendations will help ensure the secure and effective use of IT at the department.

Why GAO Did This Study

CIO open recommendations are outstanding GAO recommendations that warrant the attention of agency CIOs because their implementation could significantly improve government IT operations by securing IT systems, identifying cost savings, improving major government programs, eliminating mismanagement of IT programs and processes, or ensuring that IT programs comply with laws, among others.

For more information, contact Nicholas Marinos at marinosn@gao.gov.