Washington (IANS) – NASA’s slow progress in improving its IT governance over the past four years could put the agency at risk of experiencing security breaches, warns an audit report.

Information Technology (IT) plays an integral role in every facet of NASA’s space, science and aeronautics operations.

The agency spends approximately $1.4 billion annually on a portfolio of IT assets it uses to control spacecraft, collect and process scientific data, secure its IT infrastructure and enable the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) personnel to collaborate with colleagues around the world.

In its 2013 report, the Office of Inspector General (IG) found that the decentralised nature of agency operations and longstanding culture of autonomy hindered NASA’s ability to implement effective IT governance.