Facebook Twitter Email
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2002

The Denver Post today follows up on a development disclosed by Indianz.Com yesterday regarding a Congressional report that warned Secretary of Interior Gale Norton and top aides of the department's security problems.

The General Accounting Office (GAO) report of July 3 told Norton of the problems at the Interior's National Business Center in Denver, Colorado. Many of the security vulnerabilities discovered were identical to ones that plague the Indian trust system.

At the same time of the report's publication, but well after the Interior was given a draft and allowed to comment on it, a court investigator for the Individual Indian Money (IIM) class action, was exploiting the same weaknesses. Special master Alan Balaran informed the Bureau of Indian Affairs in August of the problems, which were discounted.

Balaran instructed hackers he hired to break in again in late August, which they did. One of their prized actions was creating a trust account for Balaran.

Get the Story:
Alert preceded Indian trust hacker breach (The Denver Post 1/18)

Today on Indianz.Com:
Norton scraps trust reform blueprint (1/18)

Get IT Reports:
GAO Report | Special Master Status Report (1/15) | Special Master Report and Recommendations Regarding the Security of Trust Data (12/4)

Relevant Links:
Indian Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
Trust Reform, NCAI - http://130.94.214.68/main/pages/
issues/other_issues/trust_reform.asp

Related Stories:
Interior's weaknesses not unique (1/17)
Norton effort 'too little, too late' (1/16)
Interior shutdown still unresolved (1/16)
Norton notes 'challenge' of daily work (1/15)
McCaleb tries to explain computer shutdown (1/11)
Interior waited weeks on trust fund shutdown (1/9)
Order on trust fund payments sought (1/8)
Debate continues over trust fund shutdown (1/7)
Speedy trust fund payments sought (1/7)
Interior says working on shutdown (1/7)
Little hope for trust fund payments (1/4)
Computer security charge stands as checks delayed (12/21)
Checks to Great Lakes region delayed (12/20)
For BIA, a working holiday (12/19)
Taking lead on trust reform proves tough (12/19)
Baucus: Delay in checks 'unacceptable' (12/19)
Judge orders Interior reconnect (12/18)
Interior shutdown was 'overreaction' (12/18)
'Not be a very bright Christmas' (12/18)
Cost of Interior shutdown not known (12/17)
Interior computer agreement dropped (12/14)
Interior computer order finalized (12/13)
Editorial: Still ripping off Indians (12/12)
Griles in charge of IT reform (12/11)
Floods more important than Indians (12/10)
Judge holds security hearing (12/8)
DOI Shutdown: 'We're Hurting Tribes' (12/7)
From the top, a gamble in trust (12/7)
Norton acknowledges Internet problems (12/7)
'We're in the Dark' (12/7)
Judge orders Interior to cut Internet access (12/6)
Security contempt charge added (12/6)
Transcript of Dec. 5 trust fund hearing (12/6)
Interior doesn't understand court order (12/6)
Judge cuts trust fund access(12/5)
Report reveals attacks on tribal, Indian trust (12/5)
No Trust: Hacking the Department of Interior (12/5)
Judge holding secret hearings (12/4)
New: Security report released (12/4)