More than 1,300 devices have been reported missing to USAID, document shows

The U.S. Agency for International Development, an independent federal agency that distributes foreign aid across the world, has seen more than 1,300 electronic devices go missing over the past three years, according to a document viewed by FedScoop. 

The document shows that the devices lost by the agency include multiple generations of Apple iPhones and iPads, and Iridium satellite phones, as well as hundreds of computers, primarily Dell and Lenovo products. Just over 1,000 of the lost devices were mobile units. 

The document doesn’t note where the devices were misplaced, but it’s possible that many went missing overseas, as two-thirds of the agency’s workforce is based abroad, according to the Congressional Research Service. 

Over 9,000 people in 100 countries work at USAID, according to the agency’s website. 

“USAID strives to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and takes security of our digital assets seriously,” Shejal Pulivarti, USAID’s acting spokesperson, said in an email. “As is the case with any public or private sector organization, lost or stolen devices are a part of USAID’s operations, particularly given that the Agency works in challenging environments around the world.” 

Pulivarti continued: “USAID takes all available actions to prevent loss of assets and takes precautions to mitigate risks that may result from loss or theft. The Agency investigates every report as part of our standard response protocols and with an array of robust risk management procedures. USAID also has an [Office of Inspector General] hotline where any individual can report actions that are investigated for fraud, waste and or abuse.” 

Members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee have recognized USAID as a leader in federal IT reform efforts through the biannual FITARA Scorecard initiative, which grades how agencies meet the requirements of various federal technology legislation and policies — such as ensuring agency CIOs have IT acquisition authority, meeting milestones in shuttering agency data centers and eliminating duplicative software licenses. On the most recent iteration of the scorecard, USAID was the only federal CFO Act agency to receive an A grade, the ninth time it’s done so since the initiative was launched in 2015.

The spreadsheet listing the lost devices, titled “Missing in Last 3 years,” was sent to FedScoop by an officer with the agency’s Freedom of Information Act Office in response to a public records request. The FOIA office then told FedScoop that the documents had not been formally released but would be released soon, though that had not happened by the time of publication. 

USAID did not address a series of questions sent by FedScoop, including how many of the missing devices had been wiped and the number of total devices issued by the agency. The agency also did not share where the devices had been lost and if any had been misplaced in countries of particular concern. 

A chapter on information systems security in the agency’s Automated Directives System outlines aspects of the agency’s approach for dealing with lost devices. 

Security risks related to missing devices, as well as devices taken abroad without clearance, remains a challenge for the entire federal government. In February, FedScoop reported details about Federal Emergency Management Agency devices that — against policy — had been brought to other countries, including China and Iraq. In March, FedScoop reported that two astronaut training iPads had been stolen; a response to a recent FOIA request from NASA’s OIG indicates that the incident is still under investigation.  

Other agencies have also faced scrutiny for their mobile device management, a topic that’s been the subject of OIG reports at agencies including the Department of Labor and the National Archives and Records Administration. 

A former USAID employee told FedScoop that they found the number reported in the document “astounding” and recalled agency training on data security, including warnings against leaving government-furnished devices unattended. 

In May, FedScoop reported that USAID received a request to delay the wiping of a government device belonging to the late Jacob Toukhy — a longtime agency employee who was killed by an off-duty Israeli cop — because it was in the possession of Israeli law enforcement.