Security of Postal Service Smartphones

Submitting OIG:

Report Description:

The U.S. Postal Service issued approximately 27,000 smartphones to its employees to provide telecommunication and connectivity to its information systems and work-related applications. Although smartphones offer opportunities to improve business productivity, they also introduce the risk of cyber threats that could compromise sensitive Postal Service data. Given the level of access a smartphone offers to its internal network, it is imperative the Postal Service appropriately secures its smartphones to mitigate the risk to its data and systems.

Date Issued:

Friday, July 26, 2024

Agency Reviewed / Investigated:

U.S. Postal Service

Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:

24-009-R24

Location(s):

Agency-Wide

Type of Report:

Audit

Questioned Costs:

$2,149,875

Funds for Better Use:

$2,592,917

Number of Recommendations:

Report updated under NDAA 5274:

View Document:

Attachment	Size
24-009-R24.pdf	2.98 MB

Related Open Recommendations

Recommendation Number	Recommendation Status	Significant Recommendation
1	Open	Yes
Identify and remove unapproved applications and outdated operating systems on smartphones and/or quarantine noncompliant smartphones.
2	Open	Yes
Update the Postal Service’s quarantine enforcement process and policy to include provisions for quarantining both iOS and Android smartphones with operating systems missing current security updates, on a recurring basis.
3	Open	Yes
Develop a documented plan to fully utilize the capabilities of its mobile device management platform to 1) prohibit employees from installing unapproved applications, 2) identify and remove unapproved applications, 3) force operating system updates to smartphones, and 4) quarantine all smartphones using outdated operating systems.

Recommendation Number

Recommendation Status

Significant Recommendation

Additional Details

Open

Yes

Identify and remove unapproved applications and outdated operating systems on smartphones and/or quarantine noncompliant smartphones.

Open

Yes

Update the Postal Service’s quarantine enforcement process and policy to include provisions for quarantining both iOS and Android smartphones with operating systems missing current security updates, on a recurring basis.

Open

Yes