GAO to White House: Do More on R&D

GovInfoSecurity (Chabrow) - The Government Accountability Office is taking the White House to task for not demonstrating sufficient leadership in shepherding cybersecurity research and development. In a 36-page report issued Tuesday, the GAO said the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy must do a better job in setting a prioritized national cybersecurity R&D agenda, providing stronger leadership and establishing ways for the public and private sectors to share key R&D information.



According to GAO, the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace recommended that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy coordinate the development of an annual cybersecurity research agenda that includes near-term (1 to 3 years), mid-term (3 to 5 years), and long-term (5 years or longer) goals. Though OSTP has taken initial steps toward developing such an agenda, GAO said, one does not now exist...The Office of Science and Technology Policy, in a letter to GAO, said it could not concur with certain findings, and said its 5-year R&D plan can be found online. Nonetheless, OSTP said its current actions and plans coincide with GAO's recommendations.

Congress has required the executive branch to develop a governmentwide repository to track federally funded R&D initiatives, including those related to cybersecurity, but GAO said such as repository is not in place. The government also lacks the processes to promote relationships with the private sector to foster cybersecurity R&D, GAO said...Moreover, without a process for industry and government to share cybersecurity R&D information, the nation is at risk of having unforeseen gaps."

InformationWeek posted a related article.