Comptroller finds irregularities at Treasury Dept.

The Treasury Department in Old San Juan

By The Star Staff

The Puerto Rico Comptroller’s Office issued a qualified opinion on Monday regarding the operations of the computerized information systems within the Department of the Treasury’s Information Technology Area.

A qualified opinion indicates that while individual or aggregate noncompliance is significant, it is not widespread.

The report highlights deficiencies in the management of communication network access accounts. For instance, the users of 24 active access accounts could not be identified among the lists of employees, consultants or users from other agencies. Additionally, nine groups were granted administrative privileges for system security and antivirus software that the Treasury Department did not utilize, yet those privileges had not been revoked from the 23 active access accounts to which they were assigned.

The auditors found that, as of June 6, 2024, four access accounts belonging to former employees, who had left their positions between 2015 and 2024, had not been deactivated. Moreover, there was recorded activity in four inactive access accounts and one active account after these employees had terminated their duties.

The flagged issues could allow unauthorized individuals to access the communications network, potentially leading to irregularities or data alterations within information systems.

The audit of two findings revealed that the Information Technology Area Security Office could not provide documentation justifying the creation of 79 out of the 99 accounts reviewed. Notably, one of those accounts had access to the communications network and remote capabilities.

Furthermore, an evaluation of remote access forms for a sample of 25 accounts indicated that 48% of the forms lacked complete information. Additionally, 11 of the access accounts examined were associated with employees who were not authorized to telework.

The Treasury Department’s budget ,meanwhile, has increased from $939 million in 2023 to $988 million in 2024, and is projected to rise to $1.019 billion in 2025.