Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the mission of the Information and Technology Branch (ITB)?
A. The mission of the ITB is to:
- Deliver reliable and effective technology solutions needed to fulfill the FBI’s mission anytime, anywhere, on-time, and on-budget;
- Lead the strategic direction for the FBI’s Information Technology (IT) through the IT Strategic Plan, IT Portfolio Management, IT Governance process; and
- Promote and facilitate the creation, sharing, and application of FBI knowledge products to improve overall effectiveness.
Q. What is the role of the Chief Information Officer?
A. The Chief Information Officer is responsible for the FBI’s overall information technology efforts, including developing the FBI’s IT strategic plan and operating budget, developing and maintaining the FBI's technology assets, and providing technical direction for the reengineering of FBI business processes.
Q. What is the role of the Chief Technology Officer?
A. The mission of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is to create enterprise-level information technology capabilities in the FBI. The CTO manages programs from concept in the research and development section, to prototype in the prototype section, to program deployment in the data engineering and systems development.
Q. What is the Chief Knowledge Officer, and what is his role?
A. The Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) is primarily an integrator and catalyst for change to help the organization’s workforce leverage knowledge into tangible outcomes and results. The CKO works very closely with Chief Technology Officer and receives support and guidance from the Chief Information Officer.
Q. How does the FBI’s Information and Technology Branch manage its information?
A. The FBI’s Chief Information Officer has the responsibility to ensure that the Bureau’s information resources are managed in an efficient and effective secure environment that complies with all Federal laws, rules, regulations and guidance.
Q. What is the importance of Enterprise Architecture (EA) within the FBI?
A. Enterprise Architecture (EA) serves as a blueprint for FBI technology systems, including hardware, software, networks and other technology capabilities. The EA provides the FBI with a comprehensive approach to management and development of the FBI’s information technology environment.
The FBI EA Program is based on the approach defined in the CIO’s Federal Council publication, A Practical Guide to Federal Enterprise Architecture, which was developed under the leadership of the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Management and Budget.
Q. What is the Clinger-Cohen Act and how does it impact the FBI’s Information Technology (IT)?
A. The Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, also known as the Information Technology Management Reform Act, requires all federal agencies to adopt an investment management and capital planning process to select, control and evaluate information technology (IT) investments.
In accordance with the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, the CIO is responsible for leading reforms to help control system development risks, better manage technology spending, and achieve real, measurable improvements in FBI performance through better management of information resources.
The Clinger-Cohen Act is a U.S. federal law that was co-authored by U.S. Representatives William Clinger and Senator William Cohen in 1996. It is designed to improve the way the federal government acquires and manages information technology.
Q. What laws and regulations impact the FBI’s Information and Technology Branch?
A. There are a variety of legislative acts that govern specific responsibilities of the Information and Technology Branch and how the Chief Information Officer operates, including:
- The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
- The E-Government Act of 2002
- The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002
- The Federal Records Act of 1950
- The Freedom of Information Act
- The Privacy Act of 1974
Other legislation that governs the FBI’s information technology includes:
- The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993
- The Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act of 1982
- The Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990
- The Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996
- The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994, Title V
- The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002
Q. Has the FBI made any significant progress in improving its Information Technology since the events of 9/11?
A. Yes. In the preceding years, the FBI has made substantial improvements to upgrading its information technologies that directly support investigations and remains committed to continuing to deliver enhanced technology capabilities wherever possible.
Q. Has the FBI made any improvements in sharing information in recent years?
A. The FBI has vastly improved our information sharing systems to allow our law enforcement partners and the intelligence community greater access to sensitive but unclassified information. The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (IAFIS) is one of the several systems that the FBI shares with its law enforcement and intelligence community partners to provide access to information. Besides IAFIS, other initiatives include the Investigative Data Warehouse, Law Enforcement Online network, the Regional Data Exchange program, and the National Data Exchange programs.
Q. Is the FBI developing a new system to manage its information?
A. The FBI’s next generation information management system is called Sentinel and will improve how the FBI manages its investigative, administrative and intelligence information, and workflow. The goal of SENTINEL is to facilitate information sharing within the FBI and among our law enforcement and intelligence community partners.
Q. When was the contract award for Sentinel announced?
A. FBI Director Robert Mueller announced on March 16, 2006, that the contract to develop Sentinel was awarded to Lockheed Martin.
Q. Does the FBI keep a database of fingerprints?
A. Yes. Since 1924 the FBI has served as the national fingerprint repository. For the first 75 years, the processing of incoming fingerprint cards was largely a manual, labor intensive process taking weeks or sometimes months to process a single fingerprint card. The Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (IAFIS), a national fingerprint and criminal history system implemented in 1999, provides the FBI with a totally electronic environment to process fingerprint submissions 24 hours, 365 days a year.
The IAFIS provides automated fingerprint search capabilities, latent searching capability, electronic image storage, and electronic exchange of fingerprints and responses. As a result of submitting fingerprints electronically, agencies receive electronic responses to criminal ten-print fingerprint submissions within 2 hours and within 24 hours for civil fingerprint submissions.
Q. How can I work for the FBI as an information technology specialist?
A. The FBI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified men and women of all backgrounds are always needed. For further information visit the FBI jobs web site at http://www.fbijobs.gov and apply on-line.
