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Recommendations Database

GAO’s recommendations database contains report recommendations that still need to be addressed. GAO’s priority recommendations are those that we believe warrant priority attention. We sent letters to the heads of key departments and agencies, urging them to continue focusing on these issues. Below you can search only priority recommendations, or search all recommendations.

Our recommendations help congressional and agency leaders prepare for appropriations and oversight activities, as well as help improve government operations. Moreover, when implemented, some of our priority recommendations can save large amounts of money, help Congress make decisions on major issues, and substantially improve or transform major government programs or agencies, among other benefits.

As of October 25, 2020, there are 4812 open recommendations, of which 473 are priority recommendations. Recommendations remain open until they are designated as Closed-implemented or Closed-not implemented.

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Subject Term: "Personal identity verification"

3 publications with a total of 16 open recommendations including 2 priority recommendations
Download these results in CSV format or XLSX format.
Employment-Related Identity Fraud: Improved Collaboration and Other Actions Would Help IRS and SSA Address Risks
GAO-20-492, May 6, 2020
Director: Jessica Lucas-Judy
Phone: (202) 512-9110

12 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should modify the title of IRS's employment-related identity theft action code 525 to reflect the type of employment-related identity fraud encompassed by this action code. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Internal Revenue Service
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should assess and document the feasibility of incorporating additional checks into its automated checks of employment-related identity fraud for populations at risk of employment-related identity fraud, such as children, elderly, deceased persons, and individuals associated with multiple wage records. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Internal Revenue Service
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should assess and document the costs and benefits of using the Withholding Compliance Program (WHC) to address compliance risks posed by potential employment-related identity fraudsters who owe taxes and take appropriate action, as needed. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Internal Revenue Service
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should modify Automated Underreporter (AUR) to include wage discrepancy checks for victims of employment-related identity fraud once IRS has updated AUR's legacy programming code. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Internal Revenue Service
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Social Security, develop and document a plan for updating future Combined Annual Wage Reporting (CAWR) MOUs. The plan should identify actions, time frames, and responsible parties, including executive leadership. (Recommendation 5)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Internal Revenue Service
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Social Security, develop and implement goals and performance measures for the CAWR MOU. (Recommendation 6)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Internal Revenue Service
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Social Security, develop and document a strategy for assuring that the reviews required by the updated MOU are completed within the specified time frames. (Recommendation 7)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Internal Revenue Service
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue should, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Social Security, clearly define data elements they exchange with SSA. (Recommendation 8)

Agency: Department of the Treasury: Internal Revenue Service
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Social Security should, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, develop and document a plan for updating future CAWR MOUs. The plan should identify actions, time frames, and responsible parties, including executive leadership. (Recommendation 9)

Agency: Social Security Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Social Security should, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, develop and implement goals and performance measures for the CAWR MOU. (Recommendation 10)

Agency: Social Security Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Social Security should, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, develop and document a strategy for assuring that the reviews required by the updated MOU are completed within the specified time frames. (Recommendation 11)

Agency: Social Security Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Commissioner of Social Security should, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, clearly define the data elements they exchange with IRS. (Recommendation 12)

Agency: Social Security Administration
Status: Open

Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Building Security: Actions Needed to Help Achieve Vision for Secure, Interoperable Physical Access Control
GAO-19-138, Dec 20, 2018
Director: Lori Rectanus
Phone: (202) 512-2834

2 open recommendations
Display
Recommendation: The Director of OMB should determine a government-wide baseline level of progress in meeting physical access control system requirements, including implementation of GSA-approved systems, and should monitor progress in meeting these requirements. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Executive Office of the President: Office of Management and Budget
Status: Open

Comments: In August 2019, GAO contacted OMB to determine if any progress has been made implementing this recommendation. GAO is awaiting OMB's response.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the ISC, in collaboration with member agencies, to assess the extent of, and develop strategies to address, government-wide challenges to implementing physical access control systems. (Recommendation 2)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security
Status: Open

Comments: In August 2019, GAO learned that DHS has recently completed the "Physical Access Control System (PACS) Modernization Working Group Charter." This charter was created under the direction of the Co-Chairs of the Federal Chief Information Security Officer Council, Identity, Credentialing and Access Management Subcommittee, and the Program Director of the DHS Interagency Security Committee. The purpose of the PACS Modernization Working Group is to facilitate the implementation and use of the technology and processes related to modernizing electronic-PACS within the federal government, thereby increasing security, coordination, and compliance with national-level policies and standards. GAO is following up with DHS to obtain additional information about this effort and to determine whether it addresses this recommendation.
Information Security: OPM Has Improved Controls, but Further Efforts Are Needed
GAO-17-614, Aug 3, 2017
Director: Gregory C. Wilshusen
Phone: (202) 512-6244

2 open recommendations
including 2 priority recommendations
Display
Recommendation: To further improve security over personnel and other sensitive information at the agency, the Acting Director of OPM should improve the timeliness of validating evidence associated with actions taken to address the US-CERT recommendations.

Agency: Office of Personnel Management
Status: Open
Priority recommendation

Comments: OPM partially concurred with the recommendation. OPM has improved its POA&M management system. Using this system, the agency provided, on 08-27-19, milestones showing timely validation of evidence for closing one US-CERT recommendation. However, OPM has not provided support showing timely validation of 16 other US-CERT recommendations that it has closed. OPM needs to provide evidence of timely validation of these 16 completed recommendations, or evidence for the two US-CERT recommendations that remain open, once these two have been closed and validated. As of March 2020, OPM has not yet provided evidence of taking such actions.
Recommendation: To further improve security over personnel and other sensitive information at the agency, the Acting Director of OPM should develop and implement role-based training requirements for staff using Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation tools.

Agency: Office of Personnel Management
Status: Open
Priority recommendation

Comments: OPM concurred with the recommendation. In December 2018, OPM stated that it is working with its learning management system vendor to develop role-based training requirements for its continuous monitoring program, but had not yet targeted an expected completion date. To fully implement the recommendation, OPM needs to issue role-based training requirements for individuals who configure and maintain the deployed continuous diagnostics and mitigation tools. As of March 2020, OPM has not yet provided evidence of taking such actions.