After Jan. 6 Texts Were Wiped, DOD IG Is Scrutinizing Pentagon Records Management
A review begun last August has expanded "based on concerns identified during the audit," acting DOD inspector general tells Congress.
COURTNEY BUBLÉ | SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
CONGRESS PENTAGON CYBER
The Pentagon’s watchdog is reviewing the Defense Department’s records management policies in light of the news that text messages from key officials in the lead-up to the Capitol insurrection were wiped.
Following the news that text messages from President Trump’s top Defense officials before the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were missing, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Senate majority whip and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Aug. 3 asked the acting Defense Department inspector general to look into what happened. This came after the similar news that messages from top Homeland Security officials and Secret Service agents were also missing.
“In the coming weeks, we will issue a management advisory on the DoD’s use of mobile applications, including instant messaging applications that we believe will be relevant to the concerns you raised in your letter,” wrote Sean O’Donnell, acting Defense IG, in a letter to Durbin on Tuesday that the senator made public Wednesday evening. “This advisory will notify DoD officials responsible for approving the use of mobile applications of concerns we identified during our ongoing audit of Defense Digital Service support of DoD programs and operations.”
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/09/after-jan-6-texts-were-wiped-dod-ig-auditing-pentagons-records-management/377869/
