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FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on Department of Education IT and Cybersecurity Management

Original title: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: INVESTIGATION OF THE CIO

January 1, 2017

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing examines whether the Department of Education has the necessary management oversight to protect the personally identifiable information () of millions of students and ensure compliance with federal cybersecurity laws.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Department of Education

The department is subject to congressional oversight regarding its IT management and cybersecurity compliance.

Students

Students are the subjects of the personally identifiable information (PII) that the committee is seeking to protect.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on February 2, 2016, to evaluate the leadership and management of information technology and cybersecurity at the U.S. Department of Education. The committee questioned department officials regarding their ability to protect sensitive student data and comply with federal IT management standards.

Why It Matters

This hearing examines whether the Department of Education has the necessary management oversight to protect the personally identifiable information () of millions of students and ensure compliance with federal cybersecurity laws.

Key Facts

  • The hearing took place on February 2, 2016, as a follow-up to a previous hearing held on November 17, 2015.
  • The committee focused on the Department of Education's compliance with FITARA (Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act) and FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act).
  • The committee emphasized that cybersecurity is a leadership and management responsibility, not just a technical one for the CIO's office.
  • The hearing specifically addressed the protection of students' personally identifiable information (PII).
  • Witnesses included the Chief Information Officer, the Deputy Inspector General, the Assistant General Counsel for Ethics, and the Acting Secretary of the Department of Education.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was this hearing held?
The committee held the hearing to follow up on previous concerns regarding the Department of Education's cybersecurity posture and to ensure that department leadership is effectively managing IT infrastructure.
What is the main concern regarding student data?
The committee is focused on ensuring that the personally identifiable information () of students is protected through effective IT management and cybersecurity practices.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift toward leadership accountability

The committee explicitly moved to frame cybersecurity as a management and leadership issue for the Secretary of the Department, rather than solely a technical issue for the CIO.

Connected Entities

personDanny A. HarrisChief Information Officer, U.S. Department of EducationMap →
personSandra BruceDeputy Inspector General, U.S. Department of EducationMap →
personSusan WinchellAssistant General Counsel for Ethics, U.S. Department of EducationMap →
personJohn B. King, Jr.Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of EducationMap →
personWill HurdU.S. Representative from TexasMap →
personJason ChaffetzChairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government ReformMap →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment20
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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