WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) -- The FBI's director said Tuesday the agency was rising to the challenge of dealing with new terror threats.
"The FBI has changed dramatically since the terrorist attacks, and we will continue to evolve to meet the emerging threats to our country," FBI Director Robert Mueller told the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Senate.
Mueller said the FBI was attempting to modernize its Information Technology program, including the development of the Sentinel project under contract with Lockheed Martin.
The Sentinel program calls for commercial technologies to produce an integrated system that supports processing, storage and management of paper-based FBI records, National Journal's Technology Daily reported.
The modernization also includes the development of a mechanism to measure contract performance so that all, or portions, of the Sentinel contract can be terminated if poor performance is identified, the report said.
Sentinel is intended to replace the now-defunct Virtual Case File, which was to be the FBI's case-management system but was officially abandoned in March 2005. The FBI spent about $170 million on that system, which was part of the Trilogy program to modernize computer systems, Technology Daily said.
Linda Calbom, director of financial management and assurance at the Government Accountability Office, identified the FBI's inability to confirm receipt of billed goods and services. Calbom highlighted the FBI's failure to maintain accountability over equipment purchased for Trilogy, resulting in the payment of millions of dollars in questionable contractor costs.
"It is imperative that the FBI correct these weaknesses in order to avoid similar outcomes for its Sentinel and other information technology projects," Calbom said.
A recent report by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine said the FBI's IT systems remained ineffective.
