Project Matrix Step Two: Analysis of the Social Security
Administration's Headquarters Complex and the Office of Central
Operations (A-14-04-24006)
Our objective was to complete a Step Two functional
analysis of the Project Matrix, as developed by the Critical Infrastructure
Assurance Office, to measure the Social Security Administration's
(SSA) compliance with Presidential Decision Directive 63 for SSA's
Headquarters Complex (main campus), and SSA's Office of Central
Operations (OCO), including OCO's Office of Disability Operations,
Office of Earnings Operations, and Office of International Operations.
This review was performed to determine dependencies and interdependencies
of SSA's Headquarters Complex and OCO with other Federal and private
organizations and the possible points of failure.
We noted that SSA's main campus and OCO facilities
have no dependencies that rise to the level of 'critical' as defined
by Project Matrix Step Two criteria. However, SSA's Continuity
of Operations Plan (COOP) is essential to the performance of these
two assets should a catastrophic event occur. Therefore, SSA needs
to continually update, revise, and adequately test its COOP to
ensure its performance.
The report contains no recommendations. SSA noted
that we are an active member of SSA's Critical Infrastructure
Protection (CIP) Workgroup, and that during Workgroup discussions,
CIP Workgroup comments and suggestions were incorporated into
our report. SSA indicated that it will continue to update, revise,
and adequately test the COOP plan to ensure its performance.
This report contains information that is sensitive
and confidential. For security reasons, distribution of this report
was limited to those with a need to know.