Cooperative Actions Result in More Economical Computer Acquisition and Improved Security at the New Orleans Computer Center

Gao ID: LCD-77-118 December 23, 1977

The Department of Agriculture was remiss in not following prescribed procedures for acquiring a computer system which was needed at its New Orleans Computer Center. However, the agency's cooperation with GAO has enabled the acquisition to proceed with resultant savings to the government of about $7.5 million. The cooperation also helped to establish a new software conversion method which may achieve additional savings.

The large volume of personnel records and the $2 billion of financial transactions that flow through the New Orleans Computer Center and the National Finance Center annually were found to be vulnerable to manipulation, making strengthening of security at the centers the paramount consideration. Exposure of these records could result in violations of the Privacy Act of 1974 and financial losses to the government.

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