To:                 All Employees

From:             J. Steven Griles, Deputy Secretary 

Subject:         Disconnection of Internet Service            

On Wednesday December 5, 2001, District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth:

" ... ORDERED that defendants shall immediately disconnect from the Internet all information technology systems that house or provide access to individual Indian trust data; and it is

FURTHER ORDERED that defendants shall immediately disconnect from the Internet all computers within the custody and control of the Department of the Interior, its employees and contractors, that have access to individual Indian trust data"

On Wednesday [December 5, 2001] evening, each Interior Department agency was informed about the court's directives and was instructed to comply. Although most Interior agencies acted in a timely manner, in a couple of instances, misunderstanding delayed immediate compliance. To the best of my knowledge, all relevant Interior agencies have disconnected their computer Internet access and the Department's external network connections have been shut down.

Consistent with the court order, the Department has moved quickly to ensure that trust management related information has been isolated. As a result of the actions that we have taken, all inbound and outbound Internet network traffic should be unable to get through.

In meeting the requirements of the court, our ability to conduct a large portion of our daily business has been impacted. For this reason, we are working aggressively and diligently with our information technology staff to seek an acceptable way to restore operations, while ensuring compliance with the court order. Until further notice, continued compliance with the court order is required.

We appreciate your cooperation and patience, as we work through this situation. As new information becomes available, we will keep you apprised of the status.