On Wednesday, Elon Musk highlighted a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) outlining the state of critical federal legacy systems. The report shows that more than $90 billion was allocated to IT in 2019, with most spent on maintaining outdated systems. The report also says that some of these systems are decades old, putting the government at risk of cost overruns, security breaches, and inefficiency.
Musk has described the 2019 findings as “damning,” and that is noteworthy considering his role with the government agency DOGE to bring transparency and accountability to the government. Check out his posts:
This GAO report is damning:https://t.co/hjjhIXCMAy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 5, 2025
This is what is in the 2019 report:
Critical Legacy Systems Are Falling Apart
The GAO analyzed 65 federal systems, including the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and the Treasury. The top 10 most critical systems, ranging from 8 to 51 years old, are costing more to maintain. They also have severe security risks and outdated software. Take the Department of Education’s system, running on COBOL, a programming language that’s tough to find experts for. Worse, the Department of Homeland Security reported 168 vulnerabilities, many high-risk.
Lack of Modernization Plans
While some agencies are on track to modernize, others aren’t even trying. Seven of the 10 agencies have plans to fix their systems, but only two have comprehensive plans that include best practices. The rest are simply treading water. Agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Transportation don’t even have a plan.
Cybersecurity Risks: A Major Concern
Legacy systems are vulnerable. As these systems age, they become prime targets for hackers. Outdated hardware, unsupported software, and weak security protocols are just a few reasons why the risk is growing. The GAO report highlights the urgent need for investment in modernization to prevent future disasters.
The Way Forward
The GAO recommends that agencies create solid, documented plans for modernizing their systems. These plans must include milestones, clear work descriptions, and a strategy for replacing legacy systems. Agencies that ignore these steps will face more expensive and delayed projects. The solution isn’t just to update the systems—it’s about reducing risk and improving efficiency in federal operations.
Key Recommendations
GAO made eight recommendations for the agencies, urging them to start putting these modernization plans into action. Several agencies have agreed to move forward, but the clock is ticking. Without drastic changes, the government could continue to spend billions on systems that are outdated, inefficient, and vulnerable to attacks.
The full report underscores a glaring need for leadership in IT modernization across the federal government. With Musk’s call to action, we might finally see the spark needed to fix this growing crisis.
So the question is, why are the Democrats so surprised at what is unfolding under the new Trump administration?
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