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United States Department of the Interior 

Office of Inspector General 

 Washington, D.C. 20240 

 September 18, 2006 

Memorandum 

To: Dirk Kempthorne 

 Secretary 

From: Earl E. Devaney 

 Inspector General 

Subject: Personal Use of the Internet at the Department of the Interior 

(No. Y-EV-MOA-0002-2006) 

This memorandum transmits our report detailing personal use of the Internet at the 

Department of the Interior. We conducted this review to determine whether the Department has 

implemented effective controls to ensure compliance with Internet usage policies. Our review 

concentrated on Internet use involving sexually explicit and gambling websites, which are 

expressly prohibited, along with gaming and auction websites, which are typically time 

consuming and thus interfere with employee productivity. 

We discovered that computer users at the Department have continued to access sexually 

explicit and gambling websites due to the lack of consistency in Department controls over 

Internet use. While not specifically prohibited, we also discovered that computer users spent 

significant time at Internet auction and on-line gaming websites, costing an estimated 104,221 

hours in potential lost productivity over the course of a year. 

Misuse of Internet resources exposes the Department to legal liability, degrades system 

resources, and compromises system integrity. Without strong and effective controls, we believe 

that this activity will continue and possibly increase. Our report contains recommendations for 

improving Department control of Internet use and holding those who violate established Internet 

policies accountable for their actions. 

If you have any questions about this report, please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 

208-6619. 
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DOI promotes Internet use that enables employees to perform Departmental

missions and encourages its employees, volunteers, and contractor personnel to

develop Internet skills and knowledge.  With Internet access available to the

majority of the 80,000 employees, along with numerous volunteers and

contractors, proper controls are required to prevent misuse and improper access

to prohibited websites.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a limited‐scope review to

determine whether the Department has effective controls in place to ensure

compliance with agency policies on Internet usage.  Our review primarily

focused on whether DOI computer users are complying with directives

restricting access to sexually explicit, gambling, gaming, and auction websites.

We concentrated on Internet use involving sexually explicit and gambling sites

as they clearly constitute an egregious violation of DOI policy; on‐line gaming

and auction sites were included as

recognized sites that would typically be non‐

work related and time consuming, thus

interfering with employee work production.  

We did not examine visits to all other forms

of non‐work related websites that could not

as readily be identified as constituting

inappropriate use of the Internet or requiring

extended viewing periods.  

In addition, we reviewed Department efforts to identify, monitor, and prevent

access to sexually explicit and gambling websites along with actions taken by

management to hold employees accountable for non‐compliance with

established Internet use policies.  We also reviewed OIG investigative files

regarding Internet misuse.   

Sexually Explicit & Gambling Sites

Clearly constitute an

egregious violation of DOI policy

On‐line Games & Auction Sites

Non‐work related, time consuming,

interfere with employee

work productivity
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Our review was conducted in accordance with the President’s Council on

Integrity and Efficiency Quality Standards for Inspections.  To accomplish our

review, we interviewed key DOI personnel and examined DOI and Bureau

policies governing the use of the Internet.  We collected Internet usage logs from

six Bureaus and offices (Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of

Reclamation (BOR), Minerals Management Service (MMS), National Park Service

(NPS), Office of Surface Mining (OSM), and US Geological Survey (USGS)) for a

specific 7‐day period.  We then extracted and analyzed log entries, which are

generated each time a computer accesses a website, using widely‐accepted lists

of keywords and popular Internet addresses for each category.  These lists were

not exhaustive, as website addresses can frequently change.  Both Fish and

Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Business Center (NBC) were unable to

provide the data we requested.  The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was not

included in our review because of the Cobell Court’s injunction against Internet

use by BIA.

Our review of 1 week of computer use logs

revealed over 4,732 log entries relating to

sexually explicit and gambling websites that

had been accessed by Department

computers.  We estimated that this activity

accounted for over 24 hours of Internet use

during our sample period; however, our

analysis did not include a review of email or

other means of transferring prohibited

material.  

More alarming was our finding regarding access to on‐line game and auction

websites:  we discovered over 1,000,000 log entries where 7,763 Department

computer users spent over 2,004 hours accessing game and auction sites during
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that same week.  Over a period of 1 year, these veritable

shopping and gaming binges could account for 104,221 hours

of lost productivity.    

We believe that our estimates of inappropriate use activity are

conservative, particularly the amount of time spent at

pornographic and/or sexually explicit websites.  

While we did not focus on individual employee Internet usage,

we did uncover noteworthy cases of egregious usage in each of

the Bureaus.  For example, we discovered:

• A number of computers accessed sexually explicit

websites for approximately 30 minutes to nearly 1 hour;   

• One computer had 2,369 computer log entries at two Internet game sites

for approximately 14 hours;

• 406 computer log entries indicating another computer accessed an Internet

game for approximately 12 hours;

• 2,949 computer log entries indicating a third computer accessed an

Internet game site for nearly 10 hours; and,

• 12,597 computer log entries indicating a fourth computer accessed an

Internet auction for nearly 8 hours.  

   

In a review of OIG investigative files, we found that our investigators routinely

discover evidence that employees access sexually explicit websites.  

Pornography, and in some cases child pornography, have been discovered

during forensic examinations of Department computers.  Often, the discovery of

pornography is incidental to the purpose of the forensic examination.  For

example:    

• A DOI employee was sentenced to 8 years in prison for possession of

approximately 30,000 images of child pornography, which was discovered

One full-time 

employee 

normally works 

2,080 hours 

per year. 

 Our findings 

suggest that the 

equivalent of 

50 FTEs 

spend 

all their 

work hours 

surfing Internet 

on-line game 

and auction 

websites over 

the course 

of a year. 
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on his government computer during an examination for a computer virus.   

• We discovered more than 2,000 pornographic images, including child

pornography, after two other DOI employees’ computers were examined

for computer viruses.  Each employee was subsequently prosecuted and

sentenced to 21 months of incarceration.  

• Another employee was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment and

ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution to the government for the time he

spent surfing pornographic websites, which we uncovered during an

investigation of false time and attendance entries.  

   

Accessing sexually explicit websites, in particular, can often compromise,

degrade, or paralyze computer systems through the introduction of computer

viruses or other malicious software frequently contracted from these websites.  

Sexually explicit websites can also contribute to creating a hostile work

environment, exposing the Department to increased liability.

We found a myriad of Department, Bureau, and Regional‐level policies

governing access to and use of the Internet by DOI computer users.  Generally,

these policies are sufficiently detailed to explain the proper use of the Internet.  

In many cases, the Bureau’s policy mirrors the Department’s policy.   
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Additional guidance for Department Internet users is provided through annual

information systems security training, which is required for every DOI computer

user.  Moreover, users are notified of restrictions and penalties for unauthorized

use of DOI computer systems through warning

banners that appear on the computer screen

during initial sign‐on to the system.  When a

Bureau uses Internet monitoring tools, a

secondary warning banner also notifies

computer users who attempt to access

prohibited Internet websites that the site has

been blocked.

While the Department currently has no system‐wide infrastructure that provides

Internet monitoring and blocking capabilities that would enable computer users

to be routinely and easily monitored, there are plans to provide such capabilities

in the Department’s Enterprise Services Network (ESN) in the future.

Simplified, the ESN provides access to the Internet through a centralized

network of five shared “gateways” across the country.  The majority of DOI

computer users access the Internet through these “gateways.”   We were told that

the DOI Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) recently tested and selected

an Internet monitoring and blocking tool for the ESN.  Due to additional testing

requirements and a yet‐to‐be determined delivery date for the necessary

hardware, the ESN program manager was unable to tell us when that tool will

actually be installed.   

Since the OCIO will ultimately control the monitoring and blocking of

inappropriate Internet websites through the ESN, it is attempting to develop

standardized criteria and definitions used to block inappropriate websites.  

According to the OCIO, attempts to gain Bureau participation and assistance in

developing this information have been met with resistance and indifference.

Similarly, we were told that the Solicitor’s Office has failed to respond to an

OCIO request for guidance.  Consequently, a unified, coherent and effective

methodology for detecting, monitoring, blocking, and referring inappropriate,

illegal, and prohibited  Internet usage for potential disciplinary action has yet to

be developed.
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We found that most Bureaus do not routinely review Internet log files to detect

inappropriate, illegal, and/or prohibited use similar to the methodology we

employed.  In the absence of a Department‐wide monitoring program, four

Bureaus (BLM, OSM, BOR, and FWS) have implemented and are using Internet

website monitoring and blocking software programs to varying degrees and with

some success.  BLM has implemented the most proactive methodology to block

access to inappropriate websites and utilizes a full‐time contractor to monitor

Internet usage activity.   

Although OSM uses an Internet monitoring and blocking software program, one

OSM official told us that they do not routinely review and monitor Internet

usage data, rendering the system useless for any real proactive measures.  It

appears that, at OSM, Internet usage reports are only generated and analyzed

when specific requests are received from a supervisor who believes that an OSM

employee is violating OSM policy.   

The value of BOR’s Internet website monitoring and blocking software is

questionable.  We discovered a volume of continuing inappropriate Internet

occurrences, which suggests that some employees are able to circumvent controls

used by the software program.  We found over 1,530 log entries for 148 separate

BOR computers that had succeeded in accessing sexually explicit websites.   

We were told that FWS Internet monitoring and blocking software became operational

recently, on August 7, 2006.   

We found the use of the web filtering tools provide some level of protection for

the Bureaus that used them, but users were still able to gain access to prohibited

sites despite the employment of web filtering software.  In a final spot check in

August 2006, we attempted access to eight known sexually explicit and gambling

websites on each system.  We were able to access sexually explicit photographs

through BLM, FWS, and OSM computer systems, but not through the BOR

computer system.  Additionally, we were able to access gambling sites using

BOR, FWS, and OSM computers, but not through the BLM computer system.  

Based on our findings, we believe that the Department and Bureaus would do

well to not be lulled into a false sense of security that these filtering tools provide

a significant level of protection.  Instead, reports generated by these filtering
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tools should be routinely reviewed to promptly identify prohibited activity and

close the gap in the software capabilities.

USGS, MMS, NBC, and NPS do not currently have any type of Internet

monitoring or blocking software programs in place.  USGS and NPS officials told

us they are researching software to monitor Internet use and block inappropriate

websites.  Officials at MMS and NBC told us that they currently do not have any

ability to monitor Internet usage and will rely upon ESN for monitoring Internet

usage once ESN provides that service.  An NBC manager told us that she uses

“management by walking around” to monitor and control Internet usage due to

the absence of a formal monitoring tool.   

Bureau officials reported there have been

only 177 disciplinary actions imposed on

DOI computer users for inappropriate

Internet use since 1999.  We discovered that

112 of the 177 (63%) disciplinary actions were

for accessing pornographic or sexually

explicit websites.  Disciplinary action was

imposed on employees with tenure ranging

from less than 1 year to 38 years of service.  

Employee grade levels ranged from GS‐1 to a

GS‐15.  Twenty of the employees disciplined were in supervisory positions.  

Reported disciplinary actions averaged 25 per year over the past 7 years among

eight Bureaus.  The low number of disciplinary actions reportedly taken against

employees who had violated Department and Bureau Internet Acceptable Use

Policies compared to the thousands of hits we found indicating user activity at

inappropriate sites suggests that employees are not being held accountable for

non‐work related and inappropriate use of the Internet.   
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Current Department, Bureau, and Regional efforts to prevent, deter, and detect

Internet access to inappropriate websites are inconsistent and must be improved.  

Despite software filtering programs, training, and policies, computer users are

still able to exploit the lack of consistency in Department controls over Internet

use to access prohibited material.  This misuse results in lost productivity,

exposes the Department to legal liability, degrades system resources, and

compromises system integrity.

Recommendation #1  

Department and Bureau officials should develop a unified methodology to

address inappropriate and/or prohibited Internet use on a Department‐wide

basis.  This would include proactive efforts by managers to identify and respond

to instances of inappropriate Internet use using properly configured software

and education programs.   

Recommendation #2

Those who violate established Internet use policies should be held accountable

for their actions.  We believe that predictable and persistent disciplinary action

against violators will significantly influence abusive Internet use practices and

further reduce the cost of lost productivity. 
 

 

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