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This week, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general said in an oversight report that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have failed to use adequate cybersecurity measures and safeguards to protect travelers’ data. The report says that from July 2017 to December 2019, personal data was left vulnerable to hackers in the Mobile…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requested an audit by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of Medicare Part D eligibility verification transactions (E1) transactions. The OIG recently released its report which found that the majority of the providers evaluated used E1 transactions for some inappropriate purpose other than to bill for a…

Everyone knows how I feel about those home genetic testing kits—most people don’t understand that when they send their DNA to a private company that it is not protected by HIPAA or any other law, and the company can legally use and disclose it, including selling it to other companies. Understand what companies are doing…

On June 3, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a fraud alert to notify consumers about genetic testing fraud schemes (the Alert). According to the OIG, fraudulent actors are using the provision of free genetic testing kits to obtain Medicare information from unwitting consumers, and…

There was unfortunately some bleak news out of the Department of Health & Human Services, (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently. The OIG recently released the results of a performance audit of the HHS’ compliance with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA). The OIG Report states that FISMA requires that…

Last week, a new audit report was released regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) unmanned aircraft system (UAS or drone) waiver process. According to the audit, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has found room for improvement. In particular, the FAA’s timeliness in response to waiver requests could improve.

The audit was conducted between…

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently announced the creation of a cybersecurity team focused on combating threats within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and within the health care industry. The team includes auditors, evaluators, investigators, and attorneys with experience in cybersecurity matters, and its work is intended to build on the cybersecurity priorities the OIG has previously identified in its annual assessments and reports.…
Continue Reading OIG Announces New Multidisciplinary Cybersecurity Team

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced an audit of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) “approval and oversight processes” for Part 107 waivers for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operations. The audit will begin before month’s end and will assess the FAA’s processes for granting waivers and…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its recent audit of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), “FAA Lacks A Risk-Based Oversight Process For Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” stating that while the FAA has taken continuous steps to advance the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or ‘drones’) into the national airspace, the FAA is still however taking a “reactive approach to UAS oversight.” The audit reveals that while the FAA has taken steps to identify and detect UAS operations and increase awareness and education of operators (like requiring registration), “the agency has taken action primarily after incidents occur.”

Additionally, the OIG criticized the FAA’s processes for UAS operations because they do not verify that operators actually meet or understand the conditions and limitations in their exemptions. Further, while the FAA has taken steps to advance UAS technology, they have yet to establish a risk-based safety oversight process, or a robust data reporting and tracking system for UAS activity according to the OIG.

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Continue Reading FAA’s Drone Efforts Audited by the OIG