State Police address FOID, cyber security audit findings

State Police address FOID, cyber security audit findings

Spread the love

(The Center Square) – As his agency works to correct compliance findings by the state’s auditor general, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly says Firearm Owner’s Identification Card backlogs have been eliminated and processing times have improved.

Kelly appeared before the Legislative Audit Commission and addressed findings that his department did not comply with FOID Act requirements.

Courtney Dzierwa of the Auditor General’s Office said renewal fees were deposited into the wrong fund, and ISP was late to provide notification of expiring cards in some cases.

“We recommended the department ensure notifications to FOID card holders are sent in a timely manner and ensure fees are deposited in accordance with the act,” Dzierwa said.

Kelly said the FOID system has been modernized and the backlog has been eliminated.

“The average processing time now for a new FOID card is 14 days, and that’s well below the statutory limitation,” Kelly said.

Dzierwa said the auditor’s most recent examination had 32 findings, but no new material weaknesses and an overall reduction of weaknesses.

State Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, expressed concern about an audit finding that ISP did not maintain adequate security controls over computer systems to safeguard confidential information.

“That’s a big red flag for me, so I’d like you to talk to me about what you’ve done to remediate,” Ellman said.

Kelly said ISP uses software from 35 different vendors.

“We’re pretty close to having all the vendors now meeting the requirements we expect from all of them in terms of their cyber security requirements, the agreements that they have in order to do business with the Illinois State Police,” Kelly said.

Kelly said his office has been more aggressive in training workers to not respond to phishing emails.

“It’s concerning that you see smart, intelligent people that will click on something that they shouldn’t,” Kelly said.

###

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

HHS: Pritzker 'eroded public trust' in public health

HHS: Pritzker ‘eroded public trust’ in public health

By Jim TalamontiThe Center Square A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman says Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker eroded public trust and is trying to reinvent public health. The...
U.S. Supreme Court to decide birthright citizenship case

U.S. Supreme Court to decide birthright citizenship case

By Dan McCalebThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide a case challenging President Donald Trump's plan to end birthright citizenship. On the first day of...
WATCH: House passes bills to block CCP's influence on schools

WATCH: House passes bills to block CCP’s influence on schools

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square House representatives passed three bills this week aimed at protecting K-12 classrooms from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. The bills - PROTECT Our...
New fiscal year begins with lowest border apprehensions in recorded history

New fiscal year begins with lowest border apprehensions in recorded history

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Illegal border crossings continued an historic downward trajectory in October and November, representing the lowest numbers ever reported at the beginning of a fiscal year...
IL legislator credits Trump for U.S. Steel announcement

IL legislator credits Trump for U.S. Steel announcement

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois state legislator from the Metro East says it’s a Christmas miracle that U.S. Steel is...
Debate over AI heats up as GOP scraps moratorium in annual Defense bill

Debate over AI heats up as GOP scraps moratorium in annual Defense bill

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Lawmakers are becoming increasingly concerned about the rapid expansion of AI technology and its impacts on cybersecurity, the power grid, and online safety. While the...
Evers vetoes 9 bills, including block on illlegal BadgerCare enrollment

Evers vetoes 9 bills, including block on illlegal BadgerCare enrollment

By Jon StyfThe Center Square Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed nine bills Friday, including a much-debated bill that would prevent tax money from going toward the health care of undocumented...
Bull Moose Project criticizes Sen. Lummis over stalled crypto legislation

Bull Moose Project criticizes Sen. Lummis over stalled crypto legislation

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square A conservative advocacy group is pressuring U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., over her handling of a major digital asset bill, arguing that she slowed progress...
Polis calls on U.S. Treasury to extend free tax filing service

Polis calls on U.S. Treasury to extend free tax filing service

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sent a letter this week to the U.S. Treasury Department calling on it to undo its suspension of the IRS Direct...
Screenshot 2025-12-05 at 11.56.48 AM

Tensions Flare as Board Members Clash Over Budget Process and Protocol

Will County Board Meeting | December 4, 2025 Article Summary: A special meeting intended to fix a budget error turned contentious as board members traded accusations regarding transparency, meeting conduct,...
Screenshot 2025-12-05 at 11.57.25 AM

Will County Board Approves $2.7 Million Reserve Draw to Finalize 0% Tax Levy

Will County Board Meeting | December 4, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Board unanimously voted to transfer approximately $2.78 million from cash reserves to balance the fiscal year 2026...
Netflix buys Burbank-based Warner Bros. for $72 billion

Netflix buys Burbank-based Warner Bros. for $72 billion

By Dave MasonThe Center Square The multibillion dollar question of who’s buying Warner Bros. was answered Friday when Netflix announced its purchase of the iconic Burbank studio. After a weeks-long...

IL Sec of State criticizes TSA fee option, extends REAL ID facility lease

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is criticizing the federal government’s plan to offer travelers without proper...
Illinois quick hits: US Steel reopening Granite City furnace; unemployment down slightly

Illinois quick hits: US Steel reopening Granite City furnace; unemployment down slightly

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square US Steel reopening Granite City furnace U.S. Steel says customer demand has driven the company to begin the process of restarting...
WATCH: Gun ban with SCOTUS; ICE enforcement pushback; End of life options bill with gov

WATCH: Gun ban with SCOTUS; ICE enforcement pushback; End of life options bill with gov

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop reviews the status...