In 2014, officials at the Internal Revenue Service received a Congressional subpoena demanding that the agency turn over all email messages sent or received by IRS official Lois Lerner as part of a Congressional investigation.  Information security professionals suddenly found themselves in the public spotlight when the IRS claimed that they were unable to produce Lerner’s emails because her hard drive had crashed and the backup tapes had been accidentally erased.  This began a months-long saga as data integrity issues took center stage in the media and the public focused on the ability of federal agencies to maintain the integrity of official government records.

There’s no doubt that federal agency information technology professionals have a special obligation to preserve the integrity of agency information.  From tax records to legislative history, federal agencies preserve and protect the critical information that comprises our nation’s history and ensures its continued efficient operation.  The duty to preserve federal records is a sacred trust between the American people and the nation’s government and IT professionals bear significant responsibility for maintaining this trust.  Fortunately, there are several technology tools available to assist in this important task.

Read the full story: Preserving Data Integrity

Published February 18, 2016 in FedTech Magazine