Department of Commerce

For our final report on our audit of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) management of trademark pendency, our objective was to determine whether USPTO exercised effective oversight and management of trademark pendency. Specifically, we assessed USPTO’s development, monitoring...

This report summarizes the following top management and performance challenges facing the Department of Commerce in FY 2025: (I) Modernizing Technology and Systems (Maximizing Cybersecurity and IT Security, Modernizing IT Systems and Operations, and Integrating AI and Other Emerging Technologies...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) provides access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources. Current NESDIS ground systems process data from NOAA and non-NOAA satellites and...

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a national network of 51 MEP Centers—in all 50 states and Puerto Rico—providing any U.S. manufacturer with resources to improve production processes, upgrade technological capabilities...

We conducted this audit to assess the adequacy of the Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS’) efforts to reduce the risk of threats from China’s Military-Civilian Fusion strategy. We specifically reviewed BIS’ process for approving export license applications, as well as its response to a related...

Our objective was to assess the Department’s compliance with the 13 covered agency responsibilities in 43 U.S.C. § 2808(a). To meet this objective, we reviewed our audit results from 2020 and 2022 and obtained updated information from the Department for each of the 13 requirements. In addition, we...

Objects orbiting Earth such as satellites and debris continue to increase in number, making space contested and congested. Preventing collisions is crucial to protecting the safety of space activities and assets.In June 2018, the White House issued Space Policy Directive-3, National Space Traffic...

In response to the terror attacks of 9/11, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) was established in 2012 as an independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to oversee a national communications network dedicated to emergency...

Over the past several decades, the United States has lost ground as a leader in semiconductor chip manufacturing and research. Congress passed the CHIPS Act of 2022 to help rebuild the domestic semiconductor industry and strengthen semiconductor research and development.The CHIPS Act provides $50...

The objective of our evaluation was to assess USPTO’s actions in response to the exposure of domicile addresses to determine whether USPTO complied with federal and U.S. Department of Commerce (the Department) information technology (IT) security standards.We found that USPTO mishandled the required...