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[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Hundreds of laptops missing at GPO, IG finds

By STEPHEN LOSEY | Last Updated: December 27, 2010 
<http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20101227/IT03/12270304>


As many as one-third of the 629 laptops issued to (US) Government 
Printing Office employees and contractors since 2005 may be missing, 
according to a Dec. 6 audit from the agency's Office of Inspector General.

Investigators randomly selected 304 of the agency's laptops for review, 
and said 88 of them could not be found. 

The OIG said that between 150 and 213 laptops are probably missing, 
costing the agency anywhere from $331,500 to $470,730.

The report said that GPO managers could not explain where the laptops 
went. Investigators said agency management did not set standard, written 
policies meant to keep track of laptops. GPO's outdated records don't 
list which laptops went to which employee or contractor and where they 
were. And GPO doesn't always collect laptops when employees leave the 
agency.

These missing laptops risk exposing sensitive information on audits and 
investigations, acquisitions and personal data, the report said.

The OIG said GPO should set standard operating procedures covering the 
acquisition, storage, delivery, return and accounting of laptops, and 
come up with a better recordkeeping process. GPO should also inventory 
laptops each year and investigate any missing laptops, the report said. 
GPO agreed and promised to adopt those recommendations.

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Cheers,
Stephen