Interior can keep web connections, court rules

The federal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the Interior Department can keep its computers connected to the Internet despite online security concerns, AP reports.

Internet security holes were found in the department that could have provided hackers with access to hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties from Indian lands.

But the appeals court ruled that a decision by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in March to halt the Internet connections did not give the department enough time to make its case.

In his order, Lamberth said he was concerned that Interior no longer allowed a court-appointed monitor to oversee efforts to secure electronic records of Native Americans' trust fund accounts.

The appeals court faulted Lamberth for not holding an evidentiary hearing.