Government & Private Sites Pull 'Sensitive' Data From the Internet
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A wide range of government and private web sites have removed information deemed "sensitive" in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States.

The Associated Press reported that the U.S. National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) suspended online and offline sales of maps of military installations as well as its highest-resolution maps of other U.S. locations. This comes only 5 months after the agency made headlines with the news it would create all of its maps in digital form - foresaking paper maps entirely. Satellite intelligence photos that were formerly classified are still available for purchase, however (prices range from $8-$18 per image)

The U.S. Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) no longer provides unlimited access to the Internet mapping application, pipeline data, and drinking water data.

Visitors to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) web site are greeted with the following disclaimer: "In support of our mission to protect public health and safety, the NRC is performing a review of all material on our site. In the interim, only select content will be available. We appreciate your patience and understanding during these difficult times." Meanwhile users searching for information previously available from the Department of Energy (DOE) regarding the "Transportation of Nuclear Materials" learn that "Due to security reasons, the NTP Web site has been removed temporarily."

Even the web site for the Army's Digitization Office, responsible for integrating digital communication and information management systems into the Army's various personnel and weapons systems is offline.

Despite these actions, a Google search on October 17, 2001 still turned up sites containing information regarding "doomsday" bunkers constructed in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia to house the Department of Defense, White House, Cabinet & Supreme Court Justices and both houses of Congress respectively.

 

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