U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth will hold a hearing this morning to discuss the state of information technology at the Interior Department.

The plaintiffs in the Cobell v. Norton trust fund lawsuit have asked the judge to shut down insecure computer systems. They say billions of dollars in Indian funds are at risk to Internet hackers.

DOI's own Inspector General released a report on April 6 citing the "poor state of network security" and "weak access controls" on "many systems." The report prompted the Bureau of Land Management to shut down its website.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton is blocking the release of the report. Her attorneys have asked Lamberth for a protective order to keep it hidden from the public.

The hearing this morning takes place at 10am at the federal district courthouse in Washington, D.C.

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Cobell v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust

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