The Department of Homeland Security has suspended plans to establish a surveillance network along the U.S. northern and southern borders because the program had “unresolved key issues that, if not addressed, would have introduced unnecessary and unacceptable risk,” according to a Government Accountability Office report (PDF) published Wednesday.

The program, known as America’s Shield Initative, would have established a network of sensors, cameras and databases along the ports of entry and borders with Canada and Mexico. It was an outgrowth of a 1997 program known as ISIS, the Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System.

ASI subsumed ISIS and became part of Customs and Border Protection in September 2004. By September 2005, DHS officials had called for a re-evaluation of the program. Ultimately it was shut down and personnel transferred to the Secure Border Initiative.

A review of ASI found that the program was not well integrated into the Department of Homeland Security, did not know what other components it needed to share information with, and did not clearly identify roles and responsibilities for its management.

As of now, automated surveillance covers only 4% of the border areas.