DOGE Software Licenses Audit HUD

Introduction

With a shockwave of surprise that resonated through federal agencies and taxpayers at large, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently released a sweeping audit of software licenses at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The outcome? A jaw-dropping finding of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds spent on unused software license buys. From ServiceNow to Adobe Acrobat, hundreds of thousands of licenses accumulated but went unused or sat dormant.

This article talks about the extent the audit is, its public accountability function, and what it implies for government digital government in the future.

Learning About HUD and Its IT Infrastructure

HUD Role in U.S. Government

The agency of Housing and Urban Development has the mandate of policies and programs of national policies that oversee America’s housing requirement. Its IT infrastructure is therefore tremendous and complicated given the humongous mandate.

Overview of Its Digital Operations

HUD uses enterprise software applications to implement data management, case tracking, finance, legal research, and internal communications. Some of them include Adobe, IBM Cognos, ServiceNow, etc. Obviously, it is very expensive in terms of licensing to have such an electronic infrastructure.

What is DOGE?

Department of Government Efficiency Explained

DOGE is a new watch office assigned with eliminating bureaucratic inefficiency, increasing transparency, and improving operating effectiveness in federal agencies.

DOG’s Objectives

Its work involves auditing software, contracts, redundancies in staff, and resources. Software licenses audit at HUD was one of its very first major endeavors.

Why the Software Licenses Audit Was Undertaken

Increasing Costs

Federal government annual computer software spending skyrocketed. For HUD alone, tens of millions of dollars are spent annually on license fees something to be concerned about.

Fear of License Underuse

They indicated that the majority of the licenses were bought but not utilized. DOGE intervened to take a glance.

Audit Process conducted by DOGE

Tools and Techniques Used

Found tools, license use reports internally, and vendor invoices were used by DOGE to monitor the use of licenses. Tools such as ServiceNow, Black Duck, and bespoke dashboards were employed to extract data.

 

Scope of Audit

The entire big software vendors utilized by HUD from 2023–2025 have been included in the audit with focus on licenses consumed versus bought.

Jaw-Dropping Audit Revelations

Summary of Unused Licenses

• ServiceNow: 35,855 licenses, only 84 active.
• Adobe Acrobat: 11,020 licenses, no usage reported.
• Cognos: 1,776 licenses, only 325 in use.
• WestLaw Classic: 800 licenses, 216 in use.
• Java (Oracle): 10,000 licenses, only 400 in use.

Estimated Financial Waste

Unused license cost is calculated at more than $20 million—a staggering figure that reflects poor planning and mismanagement.

Case Study 1: Adobe Acrobat

Purchased vs. Used

Adobe Acrobat to make and modify PDFs—federal workflow-critical applications. HUD bought more than 11,000 licenses, yet not one use report reflected active use.

Estimated Financial Loss

At a cost of approximately $150/year per license, that is $1.65 million/year lost—without even having one document opened.

Case Study 2: ServiceNow

35,855 Licenses Information

ServiceNow is an IT service management cloud-based solution. With nearly 36,000 licenses, there were only 84 active accounts.

Why It Was Overlooked

IT asset tracking errors and over-procurement without re-evaluation resulted in such a huge gap.

Other Software Audited

Java

• 10,000 licenses bought.
• Around 400 instances of use in actual use.

Cognos & WestLaw

Business analysis software Cognos was utilized by a handful of those users who were supposed to be using it.

WestLaw Classic utilization was less than 25%.

Root Causes for License Waste

• Inability to see real actual-time license utilization.
• Poor negotiations with software vendors.
• Having outdated purchasing paradigms to purchase in bulk.
• IT coordination between teams being zero.

DOGE’s Recommendations to HUD

• Re-allocate unused licenses to departments using it.
• Impose license activity dashboards for monitoring usage.
• Quarterly rate of auditing software tools.
• Train procurement personnel on license lifecycle management.

Response to the Audit

Media Coverage

National media and oversight bodies covered the audit. Headlines centered around wasteful expenditures at taxpayers’ cost and reform.

Public Response

Taxpayers reacted indignantly on the internet, many demanding legal repercussions.

Government Actions

Legislators proposed legislation mandating annual software reviews each fiscal year.

Implications for Other Government Agencies

DOGE’s finding indicates that HUD is not alone. Other federal organizations can also be inefficient.

Agencies are now being required to:

• Conduct internal audits.
• Hire third-party software management companies.
• Accept usage-based licensing models.

Open Source & Proprietary Licenses: A Comparison

While HUD largely employed proprietary software, open-source software as well can save money (properly managed). They do have:

• Risk of licensing (GPL, MIT conflicts).
• Security risks if they are not regularly maintained.

Preventive Measures in the Future

• Automate monitoring: Employ tools like Flexera, FOSSA, or Black Duck.
• Negotiate improved contracts: On real requirement, not guesstimates.
• Employee training: On right use and request for software utilities.
• Departmental responsibility: Make distribution of licenses subject to performance measures.

FAQs

Q1: What is DOGE in the audit?
A: Department of Government Efficiency is shortened to DOGE, which performed the audit on software in HUD.

Q2: Why is the audit significant?
A: It uncovered gigantic waste—more than $20 million worth of unused Adobe Acrobat licenses.

Q3: Was Adobe Acrobat actually not used?
A: Yes, more than 11,000 licenses had no usage reported.

Q4: What tools were employed in the audit?
A: Vendors such as ServiceNow, utilization logs, vendor portals, and audit dashboards were utilized.

Q5: Would other agencies be audited too?
A: Yes. DOGE would audit its departments multiple times.

Q6: How can software waste be avoided?
A: Through automation, frequent auditing, smart contracts, and advanced training.

Conclusion

The DOGE software license audits at HUD is a wake-up call. In a time where every dollar matters, it is unthinkable to be spending millions of dollars on duplicate equipment. DOGE’s move not only brought to light inefficiency but also set the precedence of how public funds have to be handled. With this, agencies can justify digital tools, cut wastage, and rebuild public confidence.

For more info visit these sites:

https://dogscarelife.online/

https://dogscaredaily.blog/

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doge-says-government-paying-11020-adobe-acrobat-licenses-zero-users-plus-more-idle-accounts

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/federal-software-licensing-controversy-doges-audit-tactics-heyburn-g8hje

https://www.wired.com/story/doge-software-license-cancel-federal-budget/