Closing the visibility gaps putting public programs at risk

Every day across the federal government, civil servants deliver mission-critical services that millions of Americans depend on. At the Social Security Administration (SSA) alone, where I was proud to serve for nearly two decades, employees handle roughly 75 million calls annually, assist 30 million visitors through field offices nationwide and administer approximately $1.6 trillion in benefits each year.

What makes that responsibility even more significant is the population these agencies serve. Many beneficiaries are older adults, people with disabilities, individuals facing vulnerable circumstances or people with limited access to digital services.

For them, government programs are not conveniences. They are lifelines.

At the same time, the environment in which agencies operate has fundamentally changed.

Fraud schemes have become more sophisticated. Artificial intelligence is increasing the speed and scale at which criminals can launch attacks. Individuals expect secure, seamless experiences across every channel. Yet many government systems were built for a different era, when risk moved more slowly, and threats were easier to identify.

As agencies work to modernize programs and protect public resources, much of the conversation understandably focuses on technology. But after nearly two decades in government, I’ve come to understand that the most significant challenges cannot be overcome by technology alone.

Federal agencies need trusted information to power that technology and support confident decisions.  Every government decision, whether it involves eligibility, benefits, payments, account access or fraud prevention, is only as good as the data behind it.

The challenge is not a lack of data — it is a lack of visibility

During my time at SSA, I oversaw an extensive federal data-sharing program involving more than 3,000 agreements with federal, state, research and financial-sector partners.

That experience taught me something that remains true today: Government agencies have access to vast amounts of information, but they rarely have a complete view of the individuals, transactions, and risks they are tasked with evaluating.

That isn’t a failure of government. It’s a reality of operating within a system designed to balance service delivery, privacy, security and mission requirements.

Agencies maintain records relevant to their missions. Legal protections such as the Privacy Act appropriately establish high standards for how information is shared and used. Organizations are often focused on specific programs and outcomes. As a result, even well-managed systems can lack critical context.

Unfortunately, bad actors thrive in those gaps.

They exploit disconnected information, inconsistent signals and fragmented views of risk. As AI-powered fraud becomes more sophisticated, these blind spots become increasingly costly for agencies, taxpayers and beneficiaries alike.

Why trusted external data matters

For some government leaders, the idea of incorporating trusted external intelligence naturally raises questions. That’s appropriate.

Public trust depends on privacy, transparency and responsible data stewardship. Agencies should be thoughtful about how additional information is evaluated and applied.

But trusted external data should not be viewed as a replacement for government records.

It should be viewed as a complement to them.

In my experience, some of the most effective modernization efforts occurred when agencies expanded their understanding of risk by incorporating high-quality external intelligence alongside internal records. The goal wasn’t to collect more information for its own sake.  The goal was not to collect more information for its own sake. It was to create a more complete, accurate and timely picture for decision-making so agencies could align resources more effectively, support responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and improve service to the American people.

When used responsibly, trusted external data can help agencies fill visibility gaps, strengthen program integrity and make more informed decisions without imposing unnecessary burdens on the people they serve.

For the Social Security Administration, it could mean expanding outreach to increase awareness of benefit eligibility, targeting high-dollar overpayments more precisely, making it easier for SSI recipients to self-report wages and filling other information gaps that are vital to paying the right amount to the right person at the right time.

The value isn’t simply having more data. The value is having the right data.

A more complete view of risk allows agencies to identify potential issues earlier, prioritize investigations more effectively and focus resources where they can have the greatest impact.

Just as importantly, it allows civil servants to spend less time chasing information and more time serving the public.

Better data enables better decisions

As fraud threats continue to evolve, government leaders should move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to risk management.

Not every transaction presents the same level of risk.

Not every individual requires the same level of scrutiny.

Not every situation warrants the same response.

Yet agencies often lack the information necessary to make those distinctions confidently.

A more complete view of risk enables more precise decision-making. It allows agencies to match resources and actions to actual risk levels rather than applying blanket policies that can increase costs, create administrative burden and frustrate legitimate users.

This is where trusted data becomes a force multiplier.

Better intelligence supports faster decisions.

Better intelligence improves accuracy.

Better intelligence helps agencies direct limited resources where they can make the greatest difference.

And ultimately, better intelligence helps government operate more effectively on behalf of the individuals it serves.

What matters most is what’s under the hood

Much of the public discussion around modernization focuses on visible technologies and citizen-facing processes. But what’s under the hood often matters far more.

The effectiveness of fraud prevention, risk management and identity-related decisioning is ultimately determined by the quality and completeness of the information powering those efforts.

Strong programs are built on three critical foundations:

• Trusted data intelligence provides a broader context and helps agencies develop a more complete understanding of risk.
• Dynamic risk assessment supports smarter, more precise decisions based on transaction context rather than one-size-fits-all controls.
• Citizen-centered experiences strengthen security while preserving access for the people who depend on government services.

When these elements work together, agencies can improve operational efficiency, strengthen program integrity and reduce unnecessary friction across the citizen experience.

A strategic priority for the future

Public trust is one of government’s most valuable assets.

Protecting that trust will require more than new technologies or additional processes. It will require better information, better visibility and better decision-making.

The agencies best positioned to navigate the next generation of fraud threats will not simply be those with new tools. They will be those who can create the most complete understanding of risk while maintaining their commitment to privacy, accessibility and public service.

Trusted data is foundational infrastructure for modern government.

The agencies that succeed over the next decade will be those that can bring together internal knowledge and trusted external intelligence to make better decisions, allocate resources more effectively and respond faster to emerging threats.

Because before government can modernize service delivery, strengthen program integrity or stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated schemes, it must first answer a more fundamental question:

Do we have enough trusted information to see the full picture?

If the answer is no, that is where modernization should begin.

Learn how LexisNexis Risk Solutions helps government agencies strengthen fraud prevention, risk assessment and trusted decision-making through advanced data intelligence.

LexisNexis Risk Solutions sponsored this article.