Finding 1180855 (2025-001)

Finding: 2025-001 Name of Contact Person: Karen Harrington, DSS Director Corrective Action/Management’s Response: Agency agrees with finding. Corrective Action taken/to be taken below: Corrective Action: The Department will strengthen internal controls related to workstation security to prevent unattended access to state systems. Effective immediately, all DSS employees with access to state eligibility systems are required to lock their workstation when away from their desk or log out of the system entirely. Implementation Steps: 1. Policy Reinforcement: DSS management will reissue written guidance to all staff reminding them of the requirement to lock or log out of workstations when unattended, consistent with the DSS Fiscal Manual and county IT security standards. 2. Mandatory Staff Acknowledgment: All DSS employees with state system access will complete a brief acknowledgment confirming understanding of workstation security requirements. 3. IT Controls: In coordination with the County IT Department, automatic screen-lock settings will be verified on all DSS workstations accessing state systems. 4. Monitoring and Verification: Supervisors will conduct periodic unannounced walkthroughs to verify compliance with workstation security requirements. Results will be documented and reviewed by DSS management. 5. Corrective Follow-Up: Any noncompliance identified will be addressed promptly through retraining and, if necessary, progressive disciplinary action. Responsible Party: DSS Director, DSS Program Managers, and County DSS Staff Anticipated Completion Date: Immediately upon issuance of this CAP; monitoring will be ongoing. Plan to Prevent Recurrence: Ongoing supervisory monitoring, documented compliance checks, and annual refresher training will be used to ensure continued adherence to workstation security requirements.