A large portion of the Department of Interior’s web site was disconnected from the Internet again last Tuesday after a federal district judge ruled the agency had failed miserably to beef up the security of its computer database containing information on royalties that are held and overseen by Interior in the Indian Trust Fund.

This marked at least the second occasion in which the agency has been ordered to unplug from the Internet its database systems that house or provide access to information on royalties held in individual Indian trusts. The court repeatedly has found that Interior’s system containing Indian royalty data provides an easy target for hackers.

The latest preliminary injunction directed Interior’s Office of Inspector General, Minerals Management Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Office of the Special Trustee, Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Surface Mining, and the National Business Center to disconnect from the Internet.

Not affected were the National Park Service, Office of Policy Management and Budget and the United States Geological Survey, said U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth in his opinion last Monday.

“There will no doubt be much hand-wringing by Interior over yet another preliminary injunction issued by this court disconnecting Interior’s IT systems from the Internet.. Interior will surely rail against this court for taking over the executive and unconstitutionally usurping power,” Lamberth said. But he noted “there is simply no other alternative.” The agency “brought this injunction upon themselves,” having failed countless times to plug up the security leaks.

The court “expects to receive an immediate motion for stay” from Interior, the judge said. “But in anticipation of the likely argument of Interior that its systems are now secure and thus it should not be forced to endure another disconnection,” Lamberth questioned how the agency will explain away the “pervasive criticism” of its IT security by the Office of Management and Budget, the General Accounting Office, Interior’s own inspector general and even Congress.

Lamberth did not indicate how long Interior’s web site would remain down. The agency’s web site and e-mail system were unplugged for nearly four months when he ordered the agency to shut down in December 2002.

Lamberth’s action is part of a lawsuit in which Indian plaintiffs cited a lack of Internet security surrounding the Interior-maintained Indian trust accounts, which hold royalty monies from oil and gas production, and timber and mining activities on their lands. The plaintiffs claimed the Indian trust accounts were easy prey for outside hackers, and that this contributed to an alleged mismanagement of billions of dollars of Indian royalties over the years.

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