Internet and Electronic Dial-Up Bulletin Boards: Information Reported by
Federal Organizations (Letter Report, 06/16/97, GAO/GGD-97-86).

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on
Internet and electronic dial-up bulletin board system (BBS) activities
in the executive branch of the federal government, focusing on: (1)
fiscal year (FY) 1994 through 1996 expenditures for Internet and BBS
activities; (2) the number of World-Wide Web (WWW) sites and dial-up
electronic BBSs; and (3) the number of employees with
government-provided Internet e-mail and WWW access. Because of the broad
scope and relatively short time frame for completing the request, GAO
did not independently verify the accuracy of the information provided.

GAO noted that: (1) of the 43 federal organizations to which GAO sent
data collection forms, 42 responded and estimated spending a total of
about $349 million on Internet and BBS activities in FY 1994 through
1996; (2) in all, they estimated spending about $59 million in FY 1994,
about $100 million in FY 1995, and about $190 million in FY 1996; (3)
the bulk of these estimated expenditures, about $325 million, were for
Internet activities to provide employees access to the Internet and to
establish and maintain WWW sites; (4) the remainder of the estimated
expenditures, about $23 million for the 3-year period, were for
establishing and maintaining electronic dial-up BBSs; (5) the 42 federal
organizations reported having a total of about 4,300 WWW sites and about
200 electronic dial-up BBSs; (6) all 42 organizations reported having at
least one WWW site, but some reported that they did not use GAO's
definition or did not list all sites generally because they do not track
this information, and it was not readily available; (7) the 42 federal
organizations estimated that they provided Internet e-mail access to
about 1.7 million, or about 50 percent, of their civilian and military
employees and WWW access to about 1 million, or about 30 percent, or
their employees; (8) federal organizations associated numerous benefits
with their Internet and BBS activities, including communicating more
effectively with colleagues and with the public, easily accessing
professional, scientific, or technical information, disseminating
information quicker and more cost effectively, and reducing paperwork by
conducting the work of the organization electronically; (9) while there
is no governmentwide policy or regulations that specifically govern
employee use of the Internet, most federal organizations that had
guidance for their employees' use of the Internet prohibit any use of
government-provided Internet resources for nonofficial uses; (10) a few
organizations allow limited personal use; (11) although the Office of
Management and Budget is working on governmentwide guidance on
establishing and maintaining WWW sites, half the federal organizations
reported having developed their own guidance for employees to use to
establish and maintain WWW sites; and (12) the potential for misuse of
government-provided Internet resources exists, as it does for other
types of government-provided resources, such as telephones and copying *

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  GGD-97-86
     TITLE:  Internet and Electronic Dial-Up Bulletin Boards: 
             Information Reported by Federal Organizations
      DATE:  06/16/97
   SUBJECT:  Computer bulletin boards
             Electronic mail
             Computer networks
             Computer software
             Information resources management
             Budget outlays
             Telecommunication
IDENTIFIER:  Internet
             World Wide Web
             
**************************************************************************
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Cover
================================================================ COVER


Report to the Chairmen, Committee on Appropriations and Committee on
Governmental Affairs, U.S.  Senate

June 1997

INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC DIAL-UP
BULLETIN BOARDS - INFORMATION
REPORTED BY FEDERAL ORGANIZATIONS

GAO/GGD-97-86

Internet and Dial-Up Bulletin Boards

(410045)


Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV

  BBS - Bulletin Board System
  DOE - Department of Energy
  FWS - Fish and Wildlife Service
  HHS - Health and Human Services
  HUD - Housing and Urban Development
  http - hyper text transfer protocol
  NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  NPR - National Performance Review
  OIG - Office of Inspector General
  OMB - Office of Management and Budget
  PEBES - Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement
  SSA - Social Security Administration
  WWW - World-Wide Web

Letter
=============================================================== LETTER


B-272843

June 16, 1997

The Honorable Ted Stevens, Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate

The Honorable Fred Thompson, Chairman
Committee on Governmental Affairs
United States Senate

This report responds to your request for information on Internet and
electronic dial-up bulletin board system (BBS) activities in the
executive branch of the federal government. 

The Internet is a global information system comprising a world-wide
network of networks.  Users are able to access and transmit data
across this global network in many different ways, including using
electronic mail (e-mail) and the World-Wide Web (WWW).  E-mail allows
users to easily send primarily text-based messages between computers. 
The WWW employs a "point and click" technology, which allows users to
easily access information on other computers as well as establish WWW
sites that incorporate graphics and other multimedia features. 
Electronic dial-up BBSs, on the other hand, do not require use of the
Internet.  A BBS typically consists of a personal computer, modem(s),
and BBS communications software that allows users to send and receive
messages and files and is based on direct dial-up
computer-to-computer connections. 

Specifically, for executive branch agencies, you requested
information on (1) fiscal year 1994 through 1996 expenditures for
Internet and BBS activities, (2) the number of WWW sites and
electronic dial-up BBSs, and (3) the number of employees with
government-provided Internet e-mail and WWW access.  In addition,
this report provides information on benefits agencies associate with
these activities and on guidance for Internet activities; and it
discusses the issue of employee misuse of government-provided
Internet resources at a few agencies. 

To respond to your request, we sent a data collection form to 43
federal organizations--14 Cabinet-level departments and 29
independent agencies.  Appendix II lists the 43 federal
organizations.  As agreed, because of the broad scope and relatively
short time frame for completing this request, we did not
independently verify the accuracy of the information provided.  We
did, however, perform additional work at three judgmentally selected
agencies to gain a better understanding of federal Internet and BBS
activities.  These three agencies included the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), within the Department of Commerce;
the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), within the Department of the
Interior; and the Social Security Administration (SSA).  It should be
noted that on occasion, concerns over privacy and security issues
relating to federal WWW sites have been raised in the media and
elsewhere.  Assessment of these issues was beyond the scope of this
review. 

We conducted our work from May 1996 through May 1997 in accordance
with generally accepted government auditing standards.  See appendix
I for a more detailed discussion of our scope and methodology.  We
requested comments on a draft of this report from the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and on excerpts of this report
from the heads of the three agencies at which we performed additional
work.  The agencies' comments are addressed at the end of this
letter. 


   RESULTS IN BRIEF
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :1

Although the federal organizations provided us with expenditure data
for their Internet and BBS activities, it should be emphasized that
these data are based largely on estimates.  Some reporting officials
told us that they relied on estimates because they do not typically
account for Internet and BBS expenditures separately from other
information technology expenditures. 

Of the 43 federal organizations to which we sent data collection
forms, 42 responded\1 and estimated spending a total of about $349
million on Internet and BBS activities in fiscal years 1994 through
1996.  In all, they estimated spending about $59 million in fiscal
year 1994, about $100 million in fiscal year 1995, and about $190
million in fiscal year 1996.  The bulk of these estimated
expenditures--about $325 million--were for Internet activities to
provide employees access to the Internet and to establish and
maintain WWW sites.  The remainder of the estimated
expenditures--about $23 million for the 3-year period--were for
establishing and maintaining electronic dial-up BBSs. 

The 42 federal organizations reported having a total of about 4,300
WWW sites and about 215 electronic dial-up BBSs.  Because of your
interest in identifying the number of distinct WWW sites and to
encourage consistent reporting, we provided the federal organizations
with a definition of a WWW site.  All 42 organizations reported
having at least one WWW site, but some reported that they did not use
our definition or did not list all sites generally because they do
not track this information, and it was not readily available. 

The 42 federal organizations estimated that they provided Internet
e-mail access to about 1.7 million, or about 50 percent, of their
civilian and military employees and WWW access to about 1 million, or
about 31 percent, of their employees. 

The Internet has become a valuable and widely used means of
communicating and sharing information.  Federal organizations
associated numerous benefits with their Internet and BBS activities,
including communicating more effectively with colleagues and with the
public; easily accessing professional, scientific, or technical
information; disseminating information quicker and more cost
effectively; and reducing paperwork by conducting the work of the
organization electronically. 

While there is no governmentwide policy or regulations that
specifically govern employee use of the Internet, most federal
organizations that had guidance for their employees' use of the
Internet prohibit any use of government-provided Internet resources
for nonofficial uses.  A few organizations allow limited personal
use.  Although OMB is working on governmentwide guidance on
establishing and maintaining WWW sites, half the federal
organizations reported having developed their own guidance for
employees to use to establish and maintain WWW sites. 

The potential for misuse of government-provided Internet resources
exists--as it does for other types of government-provided resources,
such as telephones and copying machines.  Although we did not assess
the appropriateness of employee use of government-provided resources
during this review, some of the federal organizations reported
instances of what they considered to be employee misuse to us.  These
included accessing what the agencies considered to be inappropriate
material on the Internet and establishing WWW sites without approval. 


--------------------
\1 As of May 30, 1997, the Department of State had not responded to
our data collection form. 


   BACKGROUND
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :2

The Internet's origins can be traced to communications technology
research sponsored by the federal government as early as the 1960s. 
Since then, collaboration between government, educational, and
commercial interests has led to the present day Internet
infrastructure. 

Users access the Internet infrastructure in a variety of ways. 
E-mail, one of the earliest ways to access the Internet, allows
people to easily send and receive text messages between computers. 
Another more recent way for users to access the Internet is through
use of the WWW, which is credited with the explosion of Internet
usage in recent years because of its "user friendly" aspect.  Using
software, referred to as server software, the WWW allows users to
organize computer files into WWW sites consisting of "web pages."
Using other software, referred to as web browser software, users can
view web pages displaying text and graphics and other multimedia
elements such as sound and video.  A defining feature of the WWW is
its use of hyper text transfer protocol (http), which allows text or
images to be defined as pointers or "links." Within WWW pages, a user
can select "links" that quickly and easily take the user to other
pages within that site or to other sites located on computers
throughout the world.  Each page of a WWW site may also be accessed
by its unique Internet address. 

In setting up a WWW site, an organization can employ an Internet
service provider for space on a computer and for the connections,
which can be used to host the WWW site.  Or, an organization can set
up its own WWW site using its own hardware and software.  In general,
costs involved for setting up a site could include connections,
hardware, software, personnel, training, and contractor support. 

Electronic dial-up BBSs use communications software that typically
allows users to send and receive text-based messages and data or
program files.  BBS technology was originally developed on the basis
of a direct dial-up computer-to-computer connection, which does not
require use of the Internet.  Currently, however, many computers
running BBS software--while still accessible through dial-up
(non-Internet) means--can also be linked to the Internet providing an
additional means of access. 

OMB has responsibility for oversight of executive branch information
collection and dissemination as well as information technology, which
would generally include Internet-related activities.  A number of
laws and guidance, such as the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,\2 the
Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996,\3 and OMB
Circular A-130,\4 require agency information to be made available to
the public electronically.  In addition, the National Performance
Review (NPR) sets a clear expectation that government should take
advantage of information technology to quickly deliver services to
the public.\5


--------------------
\2 Public Law 104-13, 109 Stat.  163 (1995). 

\3 Public Law 104-231, 110 Stat.  3048 (1996). 

\4 OMB Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources,
61 FR 6428 (Feb.  20, 1996). 

\5 The NPR, under the direction of the Vice President, was a major
management reform initiative by the administration and was intended
to identify ways to make the government work better and cost less. 
The NPR's report, From Red Tape to Results:  Creating a Government
That Works Better and Costs Less, was issued in September 1993. 


   ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES FOR
   INTERNET INCREASED
   SIGNIFICANTLY WHILE BBS
   EXPENDITURES REMAINED
   RELATIVELY CONSTANT
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :3

Federal organizations responding to our data collection efforts
estimated spending about $349 million during fiscal years 1994
through 1996 for Internet and BBS activities.  Of this amount an
estimated $325 million was for Internet activities, and an estimated
$23 million was for BBS activities.  As shown in table 1,
expenditures for Internet activities increased significantly over
this period, while BBS expenditures remained relatively constant. 
Appendixes III and IV provide estimated Internet and BBS expenditures
for each of the 42 federal organizations. 




                                Table 1
                
                    Total Estimated Expenditures for
                   Internet and BBS Activities for 42
                  Federal Organizations, Fiscal Years
                               1994-1996

                         (Dollars in millions)


                            FY      FY      FY
Activity                  1994    1995    1996          Total
----------------------  ------  ------  ------  ======================
Internet\\b              $50.9   $92.2  $182.3          $325.4
Electronic dial-up BBS     7.8     8.0     7.3           23.1
======================================================================
Total                    $58.7  $100.2  $189.6          $348.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
\a Estimated expenditures include both capital and operating
expenditures.  Capital expenditures are for items that are generally
depreciated or amortized over more than one accounting period.  We
did not ask organizations to depreciate or amortize the capital
expenditures, but to report the expenditure in the year it was made. 
Operating expenditures are expensed in the year in which they were
made. 

\b Includes expenditures for providing Internet access to employees
and for establishing and maintaining WWW sites. 

Source:  GAO analysis of data provided by 42 federal organizations. 

All 42 federal organizations reported increases in Internet
expenditures from fiscal year 1994 to fiscal year 1996.  Within
federal organizations, Internet expenditures of some major components
increased while those of others decreased. 

BBS expenditures, however, showed more variations.  Of the 29 federal
organizations that reported BBS expenditures, 15 estimated spending
less in fiscal year 1996 than in fiscal year 1994, and 14 estimated
spending more.  For example, SSA reported that BBS expenditures
increased primarily as a result of system improvements to its Online
Wage Reporting BBS.  In contrast, the Environmental Protection Agency
reported that BBS expenditures were decreasing because of increased
use of the WWW as a means of disseminating information. 

The expenditure data provided by federal organizations were largely
based on estimates.  Some reporting officials told us that they do
not typically account for Internet and BBS expenditures separately
from other information technology expenditures, and they had
difficulty making reasonable estimates.  For example, expenditures
for the portion of personnel time and for connections associated with
the Internet were difficult to estimate. 

Furthermore, some federal organizations told us that they did not
report all expenditures.  For example, the information reported by
the Executive Office of the President did not include personnel
expenditures for White House and OMB Internet activities.  The
organization reported that personnel expenditures for Internet
activities were not tracked, and there was no reasonable basis upon
which to make an estimate.  Furthermore, the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) did not provide information for three of its
components--the Administration for Children and Families, the Agency
for Health Care Policy and Research, and the Health Research and
Services Administration. 


   FEDERAL ORGANIZATIONS MAINTAIN
   MANY WWW SITES AND FEWER BBSS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :4

All 42 federal organizations reported having established a WWW
presence on the Internet, with the number of WWW sites totaling about
4,300 at the time of our review.  Not all components within a federal
organization had their own WWW sites.  Twenty-nine federal
organizations reported having 215 electronic dial-up BBSs. 

The definition of a WWW site can vary.  Because of your interest in
identifying the number of distinct WWW sites and to encourage
consistent reporting, we defined a WWW site as a file or group of
files organized under a homepage, that is accessible on the Internet
with web browser software.  A WWW site's homepage is typically the
index, welcome, or menu page for a distinct WWW activity or service. 
As expected, federal organizations reported a large number of WWW
sites that reflect the large number of activities within the federal
government. 

A WWW site can also be broadly defined as the entire WWW presence for
an organization.  Under this definition, for example, NOAA would have
one WWW site at Internet address "http://www.noaa.gov." Furthermore,
a WWW site can be defined as the distinct computer that hosts the WWW
pages.  Using this definition, NOAA would have 85 WWW sites because
85 different computers actually host its WWW presence.  Using our
definition, NOAA reported having 383 WWW sites, that is, 383 distinct
activities or services on the WWW being maintained within NOAA. 

Although we contacted federal organizations where we had questions
concerning whether they understood our definition of a WWW site, due
to the large number of reported WWW sites, we could not verify that
all federal organizations used our definition.  Furthermore, some
federal organizations reported that the list they provided of their
WWW sites was not in accordance with our definition or was not
complete.  Some reported that they do not centrally track this type
of information and to obtain these data would have involved a major
data collection effort. 

A supplement to this report entitled World Wide Web Sites Reported by
Federal Organizations (GAO/GGD-97-86S, June 1997), which is available
electronically on the Internet at
"http://www.gao.gov/cgi/bin/getrpt?GGD-97-86s", presents the
approximately 4,300 WWW sites federal organizations reported to us. 
It should be noted that WWW sites change rapidly.  Organizations can
easily create or eliminate WWW sites.  As a result, the approximately
4,300 WWW sites are current only as of the date that the federal
organizations provided us with the information. 

Of the 42 federal organizations, 29 reported having a total of 215
electronic dial-up BBSs.  The remaining 13 federal organizations
reported having no BBSs at the time of our review.  Appendix V
presents the electronic dial-up BBSs reported to us. 


   EMPLOYEE INTERNET ACCESS VARIED
   SIGNIFICANTLY AMONG FEDERAL
   ORGANIZATIONS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :5

The 42 federal organizations reported having about 3.4 million
civilian and military employees, to which they provided e-mail access
to about 1.7 million employees, or about 50 percent.  Furthermore,
they provided about 1 million employees, or about 31 percent, with
WWW access.  It should be noted that more employees may have access
to the WWW through their organization's library or common
workstations, but we sought information only on those having access
at their workstations. 

When viewed organization by organization, the extent that federal
organizations provided e-mail access to their employees varied
widely.  For example, the Department of Justice reported providing
about 8 percent of its approximately 102,000 employees with e-mail
access, while the Departments of Education and Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) reported providing e-mail access to 100 percent of
their approximately 5,000 and 11,000 employees, respectively.  All 42
federal organizations reported providing at least a portion of their
employees with Internet e-mail access. 

Similarly, WWW access varied significantly.  The Departments of
Justice and the Treasury reported providing about 8 percent of their
approximately 102,000 and 144,000 employees with WWW access, while
HUD reported providing 100 percent of its 11,000 employees with WWW
access.  All but one federal organization reported providing at least
a portion of their employees with WWW access at their workstations.\6
Appendix VI provides the information reported to us on the number of
employees having Internet e-mail and WWW access in each federal
organization. 


--------------------
\6 The Corporation for National Service reported providing WWW access
to its employees only through common workstations, not at individual
employees' desktop workstations. 


   FEDERAL ORGANIZATIONS REPORTED
   BENEFITS OF INTERNET AND BBSS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :6

Based on its rapidly growing usage throughout the world, it is
evident that the Internet has provided many benefits to individuals
and organizations.  Benefits of electronic dial-up BBSs, while much
less publicized, are also generally accepted, particularly by those
who do not have Internet access.  Federal organizations also
associated numerous benefits with their Internet and BBS activities. 

Although we have previously reported on the technological challenges
of the "information superhighway," we also recognize its potential.\7
Our literature search indicated that the WWW is accelerating
international cultural interaction.  But perhaps more importantly,
the WWW is changing the way private and public organizations do
business.  The Internet provides employees with tools they can use to
increase their performance levels, to interact, and to gather
knowledge.  Organizations believe that the Internet offers the
ability to continuously update and disseminate information. 
Corporations are increasingly using the Internet for such things as
web-based conferencing and on-demand training for employees. 

The benefits that federal organizations associated with their
Internet and BBS activities included being able to communicate better
within their organizations and with the public, disseminate
information about their organization and mission to a larger audience
than ever before, and conduct their business quickly and efficiently. 
A few specific examples of reported benefits include

  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission reported that the agency's use of
     the WWW and BBSs has facilitated the rulemaking process by
     providing the public with electronic access to the text of
     proposed rules and a means by which the public may comment. 

  The National Institutes of Health within HHS reported that the
     Internet has allowed it to share a wealth of medical information
     with the public.  For example, it's WWW site includes the
     Combined Health Information Database, which contains over 70,000
     medical references, allowing users to identify medical
     publications, books, and pamphlets on a variety of topics and
     indicating where a user may obtain the item. 

  The Federal Communications Commission reported that it has
     implemented electronic filing on a limited basis, which gives
     businesses the opportunity to file required forms. 

  The Executive Office of the President reported that the White House
     WWW site provides the public interactive access to commonly
     requested federal services, press releases, speeches, and public
     documents.  Users may also provide feedback to the President and
     Vice President through e-mail. 

  The National Science Foundation reported benefits associated with
     one of its grants projects.  It said, internally, the use of the
     WWW has reduced the number of status inquiry phone calls,
     reduced staff time in performing data entry, and has allowed for
     timely and accurate transfer of data.  It said, externally,
     benefits have included more timely notification of National
     Science Foundation funding decisions and real-time
     acknowledgement of valid proposal, review, and report
     submissions. 

  The Commodity Futures Trading Commission reported that the Internet
     allows staff to monitor the activities related to commodity
     trading, which has resulted in action against individuals who
     were illegally soliciting customers over the Internet. 

Benefits reported to us by NOAA, FWS, and SSA, the three agencies at
which we performed additional work, are included in appendix VII. 


--------------------
\7 See Information Superhighway:  An Overview of Technology
Challenges, (GAO/AIMD-95-23, Jan.  23, 1995) and Managing Technology: 
Best Practices Can Improve Performance and Produce Results
(GAO/T-AIMD-97-38, Jan.  31, 1997). 


   FEDERAL ORGANIZATIONS REPORTED
   DEVELOPING GUIDANCE FOR THEIR
   INTERNET ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :7

Many federal organizations reported having developed guidance related
to their Internet activities.  Of the 42 federal organizations
responding, 28 reported having organizationwide guidance for their
employees' use of Internet resources, covering activities such as
sending and receiving e-mail and accessing or "surfing" WWW sites on
the Internet.  Twenty-one federal organizations also reported having
developed guidance on establishing and maintaining WWW sites. 


      MOST INTERNAL GUIDANCE
      STATES THAT
      GOVERNMENT-PROVIDED INTERNET
      RESOURCES ARE FOR OFFICIAL
      PURPOSES ONLY
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :7.1

There is no governmentwide policy or regulations that specifically
govern employee use of the Internet.  While most federal
organizations that have guidelines prohibit any use of
government-provided Internet resources for nonofficial purposes, a
few organizations allow limited personal use.  It was beyond the
scope of our review to assess the appropriateness of these
guidelines. 

Twenty-eight federal organizations reported having organizationwide
guidance for their employees' use of government-provided Internet
resources, and five additional federal organizations reported that
they were drafting guidance.  Our review of this guidance showed that
it varied greatly.  Some organizations had a notice displayed on
their employees' computer screens reminding employees that the
Internet resources were for official use only.  Other federal
organizations had issued several pages of guidance detailing
appropriate use, inappropriate use, and penalties for inappropriate
use.  Although we summarized only the organizationwide guidance of
the federal organizations, we noted that major components of those
organizations frequently had also developed guidance specifically
addressing employees' use of government-provided Internet resources. 

Our review showed that for 25, or 89 percent, of the 28 federal
organizations having guidance, the guidance specifically stated that
the government-provided Internet resources were for official use only
and/or prohibited specific activities.  Some of the agencies'
guidance referred to
5 C.F.R.  2635.704,\8 which states that employees shall protect and
conserve federal property and shall not use it for other than
authorized activities, as the basis for their guidelines.  Examples
of nonofficial or prohibited activities stated in the guidance of the
various federal organizations included playing computer games;
gambling; using abusive language in either public or private
messages; displaying and printing material or images that are
sexually explicit, discriminatory, or intended for harassment
purposes; pursuing personal interests, such as hobbies, avocations,
or alternative lifestyles; and pursuing private commercial
activities, among other actions. 

In contrast, the guidance of three federal organizations permitted
employees to use their government-provided Internet resources for
incidental personal use.  While these organizations allow personal
use, the guidance still identified certain activities that are
prohibited. 

While it was beyond the scope of our review to contrast federal
practices with the private sector, we noted a recent study conducted
by the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., which concluded that formal,
written Internet policies were rare among U.S.  employers it
surveyed.\9 It reported that just 10 percent of the companies
surveyed that used the Internet had developed written policies that
govern employees' Internet activities.  The study noted, however,
that many respondents reported plans to develop formal policies in
the near future. 


--------------------
\8 This provision is included within the standards of ethical conduct
for employees of the executive branch issued by the Office of
Government Ethics.  See 5 C.F.R.  Part 2635. 

\9 Special Survey Report:  Employers on the Internet, Bureau of
National Affairs, Inc., Jan.  2, 1997. 


      HALF OF FEDERAL
      ORGANIZATIONS HAVE GUIDANCE
      FOR ESTABLISHING AND
      MAINTAINING WWW SITES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :7.2

Twenty-one, or 50 percent, of the 42 federal organizations reported
having developed organizationwide guidance for establishing and
maintaining WWW sites, and three additional federal organizations
reported that they were drafting guidance.  Again, this guidance
varied widely among the federal organizations.  In some cases, the
guidance was a "how to" manual on the design of pages for a WWW site. 
In other cases, the guidance was an expression of basic policy
covering issues such as security, which sites are inappropriate for
the organization to "link to," and who within the organization can
establish or approve establishing WWW sites. 

We limited our review of this guidance to determining whether the
guidance stated who within a federal organization could approve
content being placed on the WWW.  Our review showed that the guidance
of 18 federal organizations stated who within an organization could
approve WWW page content. 

In July 1996, OMB informally circulated preliminary draft guidance to
a limited number of agencies on many of the issues surrounding the
use of the WWW.  OMB officials told us that the agencies raised a
number of issues and concerns about the draft guidance, and it had
not yet been issued as of May 20, 1997.  Among the issues raised by
OMB in its draft guidance was how federal organizations' WWW sites
complied with provisions of the Privacy Act, Paperwork Reduction Act,
Federal Records Act, and Freedom of Information Act.  It was beyond
the scope of our review to evaluate the guidance of federal
organizations with regard to these issues. 


   POTENTIAL FOR EMPLOYEE MISUSE
   OF INTERNET RESOURCES EXISTS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :8

The potential for misuse of government-provided Internet access
exists--just as it does for other types of government-provided
resources.  During our work, we became aware of reported instances of
employee misuse of government-provided resources.  However, our
review was not intended to specifically identify or define employee
misuse of Internet resources. 

  Department of Energy (DOE) guidance on appropriate use stated that
     nearly 100 employees of a national laboratory were disciplined
     for inappropriately using computers to access adult-oriented
     Internet sites.  The guidance also stated that in another
     instance, nearly 30 percent of the activity on one particular
     Internet site included personal listings from DOE employees
     dealing with subjects such as scuba diving and boat racing.  As
     a result of this use, DOE issued a memorandum to all DOE
     employees and contractors, which stated that use of government
     equipment and official duty time for nonwork-related activities
     is a violation of law and the standards of conduct.  The DOE
     memo stated that several employees had been counseled,
     officially reprimanded, or had their employment terminated and
     that in one instance DOE had filed criminal charges against an
     employee. 

  The Air Force Audit Agency recently reported WWW site and BBS
     control problems.  Specific problems included site operating
     procedures and approvals, making available inappropriate or
     unapproved information, and inadequate user access controls.  As
     a result, the Air Force released additional guidance on
     establishing WWW sites and BBSs and set standards for the
     information that is made available through them. 

  An investigation by the Department of the Interior's Office of
     Inspector General (OIG) revealed that a Department employee
     provided private citizens with free access to Internet services
     through Department-operated networks.  A personnel action was
     initiated against the employee that resulted in a letter of
     counseling.  After the investigation, the OIG issued a
     memorandum to the heads of all components in the Department,
     which discussed the potential for abuse of Internet resources
     and cited the employee's use as an example.  The OIG stated that
     abuse problems could be addressed by establishing and
     disseminating departmentwide policies.  A Department official
     told us that a policy on the use of Internet resources by
     employees has been drafted and was undergoing management review
     and clearance. 

  NOAA reported that two employees were given 14-day suspensions for
     downloading sexually explicit material, and dismissal
     proceedings were initiated against one employee for sending
     threatening e-mail. 

Officials at the three federal organizations at which we performed
additional work told us that the detection of misuse of Internet
access is primarily a supervisory responsibility.  They told us that
other than supervisory monitoring, they do not routinely or
systematically monitor employee use of the Internet.  Our review of
the 28 federal organizations having guidance showed that at least 16
stated that employees' use of government-provided Internet resources
may be monitored. 


   AGENCY COMMENTS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :9

On April 18, 1997, we requested comments on a draft of this report
from the Director of OMB.  We also requested comments on excerpts of
this report from the Secretary, Department of Commerce; the
Secretary, Department of the Interior; and the Acting Commissioner,
SSA, where we performed additional work. 

The Branch Chief of OMB's Office of Information Policy and Technology
provided oral comments, which consisted of technical corrections that
we incorporated into the report where appropriate.  He also stated
that the report provides a valuable benchmark on the executive
branch's Internet and dial-up BBS activities.  The Secretary of
Commerce provided written comments that said the excerpts of the
draft report conformed to input provided by NOAA representatives
during our review and that the Department found the excerpts to be
very helpful and informative.  The Department of the Interior's
Acting Director, Office of Information Resources Management provided
technical comments, which we incorporated into the report where
appropriate.  An official from SSA's Audit Liaison office said the
agency had no comments. 


---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :9.1

We are sending copies of this report to the Director of OMB, the
Secretaries of each executive department, the head of each
independent agency, the Ranking Minority Members of your Committees,
and the Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members of other interested
congressional committees.  We will make copies available to others
upon request. 

Please contact me at (202) 512-4232 or James H.  Burow, Assistant
Director, on (202) 512-3941 if you or your staff have any questions. 
Major contributors to this report are listed in appendix VIII. 

Bernard L.  Ungar
Associate Director, Federal Management
 and Workforce Issues


SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
=========================================================== Appendix I

We developed a data collection form to accomplish the objectives of
providing information for executive branch agencies on (1) fiscal
year 1994 through 1996 expenditures for Internet and BBS activities,
(2) the number of WWW sites and electronic dial-up BBSs, and (3) the
number of employees with government-provided Internet e-mail and WWW
access.  The data collection form also requested information on
benefits that federal organizations associate with Internet and BBS
activities and guidance that federal organizations had developed on
Internet activities. 

To ensure that our data collection form was as comprehensive and
complete as possible, we researched Internet materials and discussed
the types of Internet and BBS related expenditures with knowledgeable
persons both inside and outside the federal government.  We pretested
the data collection form with seven major components within three
federal organizations.  Comments obtained during the pretests were
used to further refine the form's content and format to help ensure
its effectiveness as a tool for identifying Internet and BBS
information. 

We asked federal organizations to report fiscal year 1994 through
1996 expenditures for providing employees with Internet access and
establishing and maintaining WWW sites and electronic dial-up BBSs. 
Because, during our pretest, federal organizations told us that they
were not generally required to budget separately for the Internet and
BBS activities, we indicated in our final data collection form that
estimates were acceptable.  To guide federal organizations on the
types of expenditures that were to be included for these activities,
we requested that respondents report both capital and operating
expenditures for connection, hardware, software, personnel, training,
and other expenditures for each of the three years.  We did not ask
the organizations to depreciate or amortize capital expenditures but
to report the expenditures in the year they were made.  We asked
federal organizations to exclude expenditures for WWW sites
accessible only internally (commonly referred to as InTRAnets). 

To determine the number of WWW sites and BBSs, we asked the federal
organizations to report the names and Internet addresses of their WWW
sites and the names and telephone numbers of their electronic dial-up
BBSs.  Because of your interest in identifying the number of distinct
WWW sites and to encourage consistent reporting, we provided the
federal organizations with a definition of a WWW site.  We defined a
WWW site as a file or group of files organized under a homepage,
accessible on the Internet with web browser software.  A WWW site's
homepage is typically the index, welcome, or menu page for a distinct
WWW activity or service. 

To determine the number of federal employees with government-provided
Internet access, we asked each federal organization to report the
total number of employees in its organization and the numbers of
employees with government-provided Internet e-mail and WWW access. 
For WWW access, we sought information only for employees having
access at their workstations rather than those who have access
through their organization's library or common workstations. 

To address benefits that federal organizations associate with
Internet and BBS activities, we requested they describe, and quantify
if possible, any benefits related to these activities. 

To obtain information on guidance that federal organizations had
developed for their Internet activities, we asked federal
organizations to provide us with copies of guidance.  We reviewed the
guidance to enable us to summarize the contents, but we did not
determine the appropriateness of the guidance.  We also discussed the
status of draft governmentwide guidance on establishing and
maintaining WWW sites with OMB officials. 

To better understand federal Internet and BBS activities, we
judgmentally selected three federal organizations--the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), within the Department
of Commerce; the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), within the
Department of the Interior; and the Social Security Administration
(SSA) at which we performed additional work.  We selected these three
federal organizations on the basis of the wide diversity of their
activities and missions. 

To address the issue of misuse of government-provided Internet
resources by employees, we discussed this issue with officials from
the three judgmentally selected organizations and reviewed any
information regarding this subject, which some federal organizations
provided during the course of our data collection effort. 

As agreed with the requestors, we sent the data collection form to 43
federal organizations--all 14 departments and 29 independent
agencies, asking each department to also provide information for
major component organizations.  As agreed, we included only
independent agencies with 500 or more employees.  We received
responses from 13 departments, which included responses for their
major components and from 29 independent agencies.  As of May 30,
1997, the Department of State did not provide a response to our
request for information.  The Department of Health and Human Services
did not provide information for three of its components--(1) the
Administration for Children and Families, (2) the Agency for Health
Care Policy and Research, and (3) the Health Research and Services
Administration.  We asked the Executive Office of the President only
to provide information for OMB and the White House. 

We did not independently verify the accuracy of the information
provided by the federal organizations, as agreed with our requestors. 
As previously discussed, much of the expenditure information is based
on estimates, and the basis for federal organizations' estimates
could vary significantly.  We did, however, discuss responses with
officials at each organization to confirm that our report presented
the information accurately. 

Our work was done by staff in our headquarters office in Washington,
D.C.  and our Dallas, Texas, field office, from May 1996 through May
1997 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards.  We requested comments on a draft of this report from the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and on excerpts
of the report from the Secretary, Department of Commerce; the
Secretary, Department of the Interior; and the Acting Commissioner,
Social Security Administration, where we performed more detailed
work. 

Appendix II includes a list of the federal organizations to which we
sent our data collection form.  Appendixes III through VI present the
information reported to us by the federal organizations in response
to our data collection form.  Appendix VII contains a description of
the Internet and BBS activities at the three federal organizations at
which we performed additional work. 


FEDERAL ORGANIZATIONS SURVEYED BY
GAO
========================================================== Appendix II

The following is a list of the 43 federal organizations to which we
sent our data collection form. 

Agency for International Development
Armed Forces Retirement Home Board
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Corporation for National Service
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services\a
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of the Interior
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of State\b
Department of Transportation
Department of the Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs
Environmental Protection Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Executive Office of the President\c
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Reserve System Board of Governors
Federal Trade Commission
General Services Administration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
National Credit Union Administration
National Labor Relations Board
National Science Foundation
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Office of Personnel Management
Peace Corps
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Railroad Retirement Board
Securities and Exchange Commission
Small Business Administration
Smithsonian Institution
Social Security Administration
Tennessee Valley Authority
U.S.  Information Agency

\a The Department of Health and Human Services did not provide
information for three of its components--(1) the Administration for
Children and Families, (2) the Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research, and (3) the Health Research and Services Administration. 

\b As of May 30, 1997, the Department of State did not provide us
with the information we requested. 

\c We asked the Executive Office of the President to provide
information only for the Office of Management and Budget and the
White House. 


FEDERAL INTERNET EXPENDITURES
========================================================= Appendix III



                                   Table III.1
                     
                        Estimated Expenditures to Provide
                       Internet Access to Employees and to
                       Establish and Maintain WWW Sites, by
                     Federal Organization, Fiscal Years 1994-
                                       1996

                              (Dollars in thousands)


Federal organization                 FY 1994     FY 1995     FY 1996     Total\b
--------------------------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ==========
Agency for International                $298        $313        $432      $1,043
 Development
Armed Forces Retirement Home               0           0           3           3
 Board
Commodity Futures Trading                 10          26         124         160
 Commission
Corporation for National Service           0           0         103         103
Department of Agriculture              1,849       4,963       7,812      14,623
Department of Commerce                 4,196       6,883      14,079      25,158
Department of Defense                 23,061      36,366      86,178     145,604
Department of Education                  553       1,798       1,759       4,110
Department of Energy                   2,051       4,443       5,138      11,632
Department of Health and Human         1,326       2,032       3,895       7,253
 Services\c
Department of Housing and Urban           82       1,191       3,621       4,894
 Development
Department of the Interior             1,259       4,800       6,423      12,482
Department of Justice                      0         834       1,488       2,322
Department of Labor                      695       2,136       2,650       5,481
Department of State                       \d          \d          \d          \d
Department of Transportation             662       1,106       3,939       5,707
Department of the Treasury               386         823       4,053       5,262
Department of Veterans Affairs           213         511         815       1,538
Environmental Protection Agency        3,436       5,174       9,622      18,232
Equal Employment Opportunity              14          32          54         100
 Commission
Executive Office of the                   38         238         443         718
 President\e
Federal Communications                     0         390         642       1,032
 Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance                437         503         616       1,557
 Corporation
Federal Emergency Management             370       1,088       1,027       2,486
 Agency
Federal Reserve System Board of          219         597         951       1,767
 Governors
Federal Trade Commission                  36         120         215         371
General Services Administration           94         918       3,810       4,822
National Aeronautics and Space         7,382       9,139      13,532      30,053
 Administration
National Archives and Records             51         519         403         973
 Administration
National Credit Union                      0          37         227         264
 Administration
National Labor Relations Board             0          17          28          44
National Science Foundation              255       1,317       1,776       3,348
Nuclear Regulatory Commission            827         965       1,315       3,107
Office of Personnel Management            14          54         418         486
Peace Corps                                0         194         169         363
Pension Benefit Guaranty                  10          10         252         272
 Corporation
Railroad Retirement Board                  2          34          66         102
Securities and Exchange                    4         475         687       1,165
 Commission
Small Business Administration            403         468         459       1,330
Smithsonian Institution                  325         657         614       1,596
Social Security Administration            86         576         910       1,572
Tennessee Valley Authority               137         122         824       1,084
U.S. Information Agency                  164         295         686       1,145
================================================================================
Total                                $50,944     $92,162    $182,259    $325,364
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a Expenditures include both capital and operating expenditures. 
Capital expenditures are for items that are generally depreciated or
amortized over more than one accounting period.  We did not ask
organizations to depreciate or amortize the capital expenditures but
merely to report the expenditure in the year it was made. 

\b Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. 

\c The Department of Health and Human Services did not provide
information for three of its components--(1) the Administration for
Children and Families, (2) the Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research, and (3) the Health Research and Services Administration. 

\d The Department of State did not provide information. 

\e We asked the Executive Office of the President only to provide
information for OMB and the White House. 

Source:  GAO analysis of data provided by federal organizations. 


FEDERAL ELECTRONIC DIAL-UP BBS
EXPENDITURES
========================================================== Appendix IV



                                    Table IV.1
                     
                     Estimated Expenditures to Establish and
                       Maintain Electronic Dial-up BBSs, by
                     Federal Organization, Fiscal Years 1994-
                                       1996

                              (Dollars in thousands)


Federal organization                 FY 1994     FY 1995     FY 1996     Total\b
--------------------------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ==========
Agency for International                  $0          $0          $0          $0
 Development
Armed Forces Retirement Home               0           0           0           0
 Board
Commodity Futures Trading                  0           0           0           0
 Commission
Corporation for National Service           0           0           0           0
Department of Agriculture                146         396         322         864
Department of Commerce                   929         589         485       2,002
Department of Defense                    666         748         792       2,206
Department of Education                  365         950         661       1,976
Department of Energy                     311          82          61         454
Department of Health and Human           712         549         287       1,548
 Services\c
Department of Housing and Urban          575         270         195       1,040
 Development
Department of the Interior                 3           2           2           7
Department of Justice                     25          46          17          87
Department of Labor                       90          72          53         216
Department of State                       \d          \d          \d          \d
Department of Transportation             305         325         180         810
Department of the Treasury               178         285         375         837
Department of Veterans Affairs             4         189         151         343
Environmental Protection Agency        1,912       1,865       1,759       5,537
Equal Employment Opportunity               0           0           0           0
 Commission
Executive Office of the                    0           0           0           0
 President\e
Federal Communications                     0          55          66         121
 Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance                 30          33          31          94
 Corporation
Federal Emergency Management             102         103         103         308
 Agency
Federal Reserve System Board of            0           0           0           0
 Governors
Federal Trade Commission                   0           0           0           0
General Services Administration          300          20          25         345
National Aeronautics and Space           245         237         233         715
 Administration
National Archives and Records             10           4           4          18
 Administration
National Credit Union                     10           2           2          14
 Administration
National Labor Relations Board             0           0           0           0
National Science Foundation                0           0           0           0
Nuclear Regulatory Commission            261         601         506       1,367
Office of Personnel Management           305         308         333         946
Peace Corps                                0           0           0           0
Pension Benefit Guaranty                   0           0           0           0
 Corporation
Railroad Retirement Board                  4           3           2           8
Securities and Exchange                    5          25          28          58
 Commission
Small Business Administration            148          37          42         228
Smithsonian Institution                    0           0           0           0
Social Security Administration            72         130         455         657
Tennessee Valley Authority                68          70          72         211
U.S. Information Agency                   14          15          15          44
================================================================================
Total                                 $7,795      $8,009      $7,256     $23,060
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a Expenditures include both capital and operating expenditures. 
Capital expenditures are for items that are generally depreciated or
amortized over more than one accounting period.  We did not ask
organizations to depreciate or amortize the capital expenditures but
merely to report the expenditure in the year it was made. 

\b Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. 

\c The Department of Health and Human Services did not provide
information for three of its components--(1) the Administration for
Children and Families, (2) the Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research, and (3) the Health Research and Services Administration. 

\d The Department of State did not provide information. 

\e We asked the Executive Office of the President only to provide
information for OMB and the White House. 

Source:  GAO analysis of data provided by federal organizations. 


ELECTRONIC DIAL-UP BULLETIN BOARD
SYSTEMS REPORTED BY FEDERAL
ORGANIZATIONS
=========================================================== Appendix V



                                    Table V.1
                     
                        Electronic Dial-Up Bulletin Board
                           Systems Reported by Federal
                                  Organizations

Federal organization/
Major component            Name of BBS                BBS telephone number
=========================  -------------------------  --------------------------
Department of
Agriculture:

Agricultural Marketing     AMS Market News            (202) 690-4126
Service

                           Greeley CO Livestock &     (970) 353-8642
                           Grain

                           Madison, WI Livestock,     (608) 224-5090
                           Grain & Dairy

Agricultural Research      Hank Davis                 (970) 220-5512
Service

                           GRIN                       (301) 504-6227

Economic Research Service  Call ERS/NASS              (202) 219-0377

Farm Service Agency        FSA-BBS                    (816) 823-1521

                           CORP-BBS                   (800) 246-3877

Food Safety Inspection     Export Library             (202) 501-7608
Service

Forest Service             FS-RO2F06a                 \a

                           FS-R03F05a                 \a

                           FS-R04F03a                 \a

                           FS-R04F07a                 \a

                           FS-R04F12a                 \a

                           FS-R05K                    \a

                           FS-R05F10                  \a

                           FS-R05F13a                 \a

                           FS-R05F0?a                 \a

                           FS-R06C                    \a

                           FS-R06F21a                 \a

                           FS/BLM                     \a

                           FS-R08F06A                 \a

                           FS-R09F19A                 \a

Department of Commerce:

Bureau of the Census       Census/BEA Electronic      (301) 457-2310
                           Forum

Economic Development       Office of Economic         (800) 352-2949
Administration             Conversion Information

Economics and Statistics   Economic Bulletin Board    (202) 482-2167
Administration

National Oceanographic     NMNS Federal Register BBS  (301) 713-4200
and Atmospheric
Administration

                           NMFS Alaska Region BBS     (907) 586-7259

                           National Ocean Service     (301) 713-4181
                           BBS                        (301) 713-4182

                           Boise BBS                  \a

                           National Climatic Data     (704)271-4286
                           Center BBS

                           NMFS NW Region BBS         (206)526-6405

                           Marine Data Computer BBS   (301)713-4573

                           Space Environment          (301)497-7788
                           Laboratory BBS

National Technical         Fedworld BBS               (703) 321-3539
Information Service

Office of the Secretary    Office of Computer         (703) 487-4166
                           Services

Patent and Trademark       Patent and Trademark       (703) 305-8950
Office                     Office BBS

Department of Defense:

Ballistic Missile Defense  BMDO Acquisition           (703) 769-8394
Organization               Reporting Bulletin Board

                           Small Business Innovative  (800) 946-2636
                           Research/DOD Small
                           Business Technology
                           Transfer Program

Defense Contract Audit     DCAA Information Server    (901) 452-2093
Agency

Defense Finance and        DFAS Enterprise BBS        (800) 290-8674
Accounting Service

                           HRD BBS                    (317) 542-6384

Defense Investigative      DISLINK                    (800) 572-9055
Service

Defense Logistics Agency   DISC EBB                   (215) 697-0717

                           DSCR-EBB                   (804) 279-1301

                           DNABBS                     (800) 305-8203
                                                      (616) 961-5193

                           Item Name                  (800) 841-4431

                           DSCC-EBB                   (614) 692-1394
                                                      (614) 692-6841

                           DoD-Demil/TSC BBS          (703) 767-1541

                           Medical BBS                (800) 360-6945

                           DLABBS (http://            (800) 458-7904
                           131.78.201.501)

Defense Security           EDA Bulletin Board         (703) 604-6470
Assistance Agency                                     (703) 604-6471

Defense Technology         ELISA                      (703) 602-4740
Security Administration

Department of the Air      AFOSC Bulletin Board       (703) 693-1045
Force                                                 DSN 223-1045

                           AFMEA Bulletin Board       DSN 487-5823

Department of the Navy     SPAWAR BBS                 (703) 602-9494

                           BUPERS Access              (800) 346-3217

                           Pers-84 BBS                (703) 695-3398

                           Nav Mil Pers BBS           (757) 464-7792

                           SDS User Assistance BBS    (757) 523-8207

                           EPMAC BBS                  (504) 678-3090

                           NEOCS/NOCCS BBS            (901) 874-7111

                           Public Works Remote BBS    (800) 228-6375

                           Micro-EAR                  (805) 982-5300

                           Judge Advocate General's   (703) 325-0748
                           Info Net

                           Naval Justice School BBS   (501) 841-3990
                                                      (501) 841-4134

On-Site Inspection Agency  DTIRP                      (703) 810-4741

Department of Education:

Office of Chief Financial  ED Board BBS               (202) 260-9950
Officer

Office of Educational      OERI Toll-Free BBS         (800) 222-4922
Research and Improvement

Office of Postsecondary    SFA -BBS                   (800) 429-9933
Education

Office of Special          RSA BBS                    (202) 205-5574
Education Research

Department of Energy:

Energy Efficiency and      Energy Efficiency and      (800) 273-2955
Renewable Energy           Renewable Energy
                           Clearinghouse

Energy Information         EPUB                       (202) 586-2557
Administration

Pittsburgh Energy          PETC Internal BBS          \a
Technology Center

Department of Health and
Human Services :

Centers for Disease        CDC Wonder                 (800) 232-4636
Control and Prevention

Food and Drug              FDA BBS                    (800) 222-0185
Administration

                           LOS-DO Broker Information  (310) 831-5825
                           System

                           NY Import BBS              (718) 965-5096
                                                      (718) 965-5097

                           Buffalo Import BBS         (716) 551-3815

                           FDA CDRH ED BBS            (800) 252-1366

Health Care Financing      HCFA BBS                   (410) 786-2202
Administration

Indian Health Service      HIS Mailman System         (505) 248-8311

National Institutes of     ENTER BBS                  \b
Health

                           AIG (NIH Apoptosis         (301) 402-2221
                           Interest Group)

                           ANIMAL (guides,            (301) 402-2221
                           publications,
                           legislation)

                           CERTAN (reprocurement)     (301) 402-2221

                           DCGINFO (Office of         (301) 402-2221
                           Contracts Management
                           Info)

                           DRGLINE (Grant Line for    (301) 402-2221
                           PHS Program Information)

                           EEO-OFFR (EEO)             (301) 402-2221

                           INTERFAC (Index & article  (301) 402-2221
                           summaries)

                           MANUALS (manual chapter    (301) 402-2221
                           information)

                           MOD-TIPS (Information for  (301) 402-2221
                           BBS moderators)

                           NIDA (National Institute   (301) 402-2221
                           on Drug Abuse)

                           NIHEDNET (NIH Office of    (301) 402-2221
                           Education)

                           NIHLIBR (Library           (301) 402-2221
                           tutorials & classes)

                           NUPUD (Users of public     (301) 402-2221
                           use data)

                           OPHTHNET (National Eye     (301) 402-2221
                           Institute/AFIP Ocular
                           Registry)

                           PEF (Pediatric Exercise    (301) 402-2221
                           Forum)

                           PHSOTTO (Technology        (301) 402-2221
                           transfer opportunities)

                           PLASMIDS (DNA sequences    (301) 402-2221
                           of available plasmids)

                           RADSAFE (Radiation Safety  \a
                           Branch Information)

                           SAFETY37 (Safety &         (301) 402-2221
                           security issues in NIH
                           Bldg 37)

                           SANCTION (ORI Sanctioned   (301) 402-2221
                           Individuals)

                           SAS (Statistical           (301) 402-2221
                           Applications System News)

                           STUDPROG (NINDS Minority   (301) 402-2221
                           and Student Programs)

                           TRY-IT (Try out "ENTER     (301) 402-2221
                           BBS" just for fun)

Substance Abuse and        SAMHSA BBS                 (800) 424-2294
Mental Health Services
Administration

                           PREVLine                   (800) 773-8546

                           KEN                        (800) 790-2647

Department of Housing and  HUD Online                 (800) 546-2500
Urban Development

                           Public Affairs             (202) 708-3563

Department of the
Interior:

Office of the Secretary    Office of Environmental    (202) 208-7119
                           Policy & Compliance BBS    (202) 501-6946

U.S. Geological Survey     Minerals Information BBS   (703) 648-7799

Department of Justice:

Executive Office for U.S.  EOUSA News BBS             \a
Attorneys

                           EOUSA BBS                  \a

Federal Bureau of Prisons  BOP.BBS                    (202) 307-6203

Department of Labor:

Employment and Training    Foreign Labor              (202) 219-3375
Administration             Certification Disclosure
                           BBS

Office of the Solicitor    SOL BBS                    (202) 219-9374
                                                      (202) 219-8918
                                                      (202) 219-9256
                                                      (202) 219-9257
                                                      (202) 219-9258
                                                      (202) 219-9363

Department of
Transportation:

Bureau of Transportation   BTS BBS                    (800) 493-4287
Statistics

Federal Aviation           Master Minimum Equipment   (202) 267-5231
Administration             List

                           Aviation Rule Making       (202) 267-9548
                           Advisory Committee         (800) 322-2722

                           AEE BBS                    (202) 267-9647

                           Airports BBS               (202) 267-5205

                           FAA Corp. BBS              (800) 224-6287

                           FAA New England            (207) 780-3297

                           FAA Pilot Examiner         (405) 954-4530
                           Section BBS                (800) 858-2107

                           Pilot Examiner BBS         (888) 750-8324

Federal Highway            FHWA Electronic Bulletin   (800) 337-3492
Administration             Board System (FEBBS)       (202) 366-3764
                                                      (202) 366-3175

Federal Railroad           RISPC                      (888) 372-7477
Administration

Federal Transit            FTA Safety Bulletin Board  (800) 231-2061
Administration

Maritime Administration    Marlinspike                (202) 366-8505

Office of the Secretary    TABBy BBS                  (202) 493-2359
and the Administrative
Support Center

                           DOT HRM BBS                (405) 954-3660

Research and Special       HMIX/Hazardous Materials   (630) 252-3275
Programs                   Information Exchange

U.S. Coast Guard           NIS Bulletin Board         (703) 313-5910

Department of the
Treasury:

Financial Management       FMS Inside Line            (202) 874-6817
Service

                           FMS Fax on Call            (202) 874-8616

                           FMS Voice Info System      (202) 874-6995

Internal Revenue Service   IRIS                       (703) 321-8020

                           AFS                        (301) 492-5400

                           Electronic Filing          (606) 292-4137

                           Procurement                (202) 799-0943

                           Information Returns        (304) 264-7070
                           Program

                           IRS Statistics of Income   (202) 874-9574
                           Bulletin Board

                           Little Rock PAO            (501) 324-7118
                           Practitioner

U.S. Customs Service       Customs Electronic         (703) 440-6155
                           Bulletin Board

Department of Veterans
Affairs:

Office of Management       VA Vendor Bulletin Board   (800) 735-5282
                           System (VAGBBS)

Veterans Health            VA Online                  (800) 871-8387
Administration

                           VA World                   (304) 264-4993

                           SLC BBS                    \a

Environmental Protection   ATTIC                      (513) 569-7272
Agency                                                (513) 569-7610

                           CEAM                       (706) 355-8328

                           TTN                        (919) 541-5742

                           Cleanup Information        (301) 589-8366

                           REGION10                   (800) 781-2241

                           Region5 Wtr                \a

                           NPS                        (301) 589-0205

                           EFIN                       (919) 549-0720
                                                      (800) 291-0349

                           NSFC                       (800) 624-8301

                           ORD BBS/CERI               (513) 569-7610

                           Pesticide Information      (703) 305-7499
                           Network

                           PIPES                      (703) 749-9216

                           Wastewater Treatment       (800) 544-1936
                           Information Exchange

                           REIS (R7)                  (703) 551-7715

                           PSR&RIS                    (703) 308-7224

                           CSO                        (800) 700-7837
                                                      (703) 790-0825

                           AMRB                       (919) 541-1325

                           DWIE                       (800) 932-7459
                                                      (304) 293-7108

Equal Employment           EEOC Bulletin Board        \a
Opportunity Commission     System

Federal Communications     FCC State Link (CCB)       (202) 418-0241
Commission

                           Public Access Link (OET)   (301) 725-1072

Federal Deposit Insurance  FDIC Fax/Bulletin Board    (804) 642-0003
Corporation                System

Federal Emergency          Emergency Management       (301) 447-1259
Management Agency          Institute

                           Hazardous Materials        (800) 874-2884
                           Information Exchange

                           State and Local Emergency  (800) 538-4408
                           Management Data Users      (630) 739-1312
                           Group

General Services           Multi-Use File for         (202) 205-3890
Administration             Interagency News (MUFFIN)

                           GSBCA BBS                  (202) 501-1981
                                                      (202) 501-2982
                                                      (202) 501-2308

                           Federal Real Estate        (800) 776-7872
                           Bulletin Board             (202) 501-6510

                           Great Lakes FEB BBS        (312) 353-3798

                           Consumer Information       (202) 208-7679
                           Center BBS

                           TeleConX BBS               (202) 501-7741

National Aeronautics and   NASA Spacelink             (205) 895-0028
Space Administration

                           Network News               (202) 358-4488

                           E-Mail                     (800) 380-0674

                           SBIR/STTR                  (301) 918-8177

                           Earth Science Branch       (713) 483-2500
                           Photo Data Base

                           JPL Info                   (818) 354-1333

                           NODIS                      (301) 286-4000

                           Planetary Data System      (818-306-6914)

National Archives and      FRIEND (Federal Register   (202) 275-0860
Records Administration     Electronic News Delivery)  (202) 275-0898
                                                      (202) 275-1538
                                                      (202) 275-0920

                           Atlanta FRC                (404) 763-7474

National Credit Union      NCUA BBS                   (703) 518-6480
Administration

Nuclear Regulatory         NRC Online (FedWorld)      (800) 303-7672
Commission                                            (703) 321-3580

                           Tech Spec Plus             (800) 679-5784

                           Public Meeting Notice      (800) 952-9676
                           System

                           Decommissioning Rule       (800) 880-6096

                           Bibliographic Retrieval    (800) 270-2787

Office of Personnel        OPM Mainstreet             (202) 606-4800
Management

                           PayPerNet                  (202) 606-2675

                           Federal Job Opportunities  (912) 757-3100
                           Board

Railroad Retirement Board  Field BBS                  (312) 751-4722

                           Quality Reporting Service  (312) 751-7122
                           Center BBS

Small Business             SBA Online                 (800) 697-4636
Administration

                           SBA Software               (202) 205-6269
                           Clearinghouse

Social Security            Chicago Region             \a
Administration

                           KaCee (Kansas City)        \a

                           Online Wage Reporting      (410) 966-8450

                           DCO Village                \a

                           Region 1 BBS               \a

                           San Francisco BBS          \a

                           Employer Information       (410) 965-1133

                           Information Center BBS     \a

Tennessee Valley           Lake Information Line      (800) 238-2264
Authority

                           Lake Information Bulletin  (423) 632-4721
                           Board

United States Information  USIABBS                    (202) 619-4710
Agency                                                (202) 619-4711
                                                      (202) 619-4712
                                                      (202) 619-4713
                                                      (202) 619-4714

                           I BUREAU BBS               (202) 554-6320
                                                      (202) 554-6321
                                                      (202) 619-5952
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note:  Of the 42 federal organizations, 29 reported having a total of
215 electronic dial-up BBSs. 

\a The federal organization reported that the BBS is either for
internal use only, restricted, or not available for the general
public. 

\b The National Institutes of Health reported 23 BBSs within "Enter
BBS."

Source:  Information provided by federal organizations responding to
GAO survey data collection form. 


NUMBER OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WITH
INTERNET ACCESS
========================================================== Appendix VI



                                    Table VI.1
                     
                     Number of Federal Civilian and Military
                      Employees With Government-Provided E-
                         Mail and WWW Access, by Federal
                                   Organization


                              Percentage                Percentage         Total
Federal                         of total                  of total        number
organization        Number   employees\a      Number   employees\a  of employees
--------------  ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  ------------
Agency for           2,000          66.7       1,500          50.0         3,000
 International
 Development
Armed Forces            23           2.6          23           2.6           896
 Retirement
 Home Board
Commodity              600         100.0         200          33.3           600
 Futures
 Trading
 Commission
Corporation            518         100.0         0\b           0.0           518
 for National
 Service
Department of       55,882          50.8      26,066          23.7       110,115
 Agriculture
Department of       27,635          75.9      16,086          44.2        36,418
 Commerce
Department of    1,113,485          49.5     771,593          34.3     2,250,192
 Defense
Department of        4,694         100.0       3,348          71.3         4,694
 Education
Department of       15,500          87.3      13,389          75.4        17,763
 Energy
Department of       42,061          80.6      35,207          67.5        52,161
 Health and
 Human
 Services\c
Department of       11,000         100.0      11,000         100.0        11,000
 Housing and
 Urban
 Development
Department of       59,340          83.4      25,830          36.3        71,158
 the Interior
Department of        8,039           7.9       8,126           8.0       101,977
 Justice
Department of       13,127          80.2       7,813          47.7        16,372
 Labor
Department of           \d            \d          \d            \d            \d
 State
Department of       61,989          62.6      16,299          16.5        99,054
 Transportation
Department of       78,605          54.6      11,090           7.7       144,053
 the Treasury
Department of       65,000          26.0      10,000           4.0       250,000
 Veterans
 Affairs
Environmental       17,177         100.0       7,000          40.8        17,177
 Protection
 Agency
Equal                   18           0.7          24           0.9         2,676
 Employment
 Opportunity
 Commission
Executive              922         100.0         922         100.0           922
 Office of the
 President\e
Federal              2,100         100.0       2,100         100.0         2,100
 Communications
 Commission
Federal              9,800         100.0       9,800         100.0         9,800
 Deposit
 Insurance
 Corporation
Federal              2,400         100.0       2,400         100.0         2,400
 Emergency
 Management
 Agency
Federal              1,200          69.3       1,000          57.7         1,732
 Reserve
 System Board
 of Governors
Federal Trade        1,000         100.0       1,000         100.0         1,000
 Commission
General             12,500          80.7      11,000          71.0        15,500
 Services
 Administratio
 n
National            25,489          99.3      25,539          99.5        25,680
 Aeronautics
 and Space
 Administratio
 n
National             2,500          83.3       2,500          83.3         3,000
 Archives and
 Records
 Administratio
 n
National               950         100.0         200          21.1           950
 Credit Union
 Administratio
 n
National Labor       1,900          95.0         750          37.5         2,000
 Relations
 Board
National             1,200         100.0       1,200         100.0         1,200
 Science
 Foundation
Nuclear              3,200         100.0       1,700          53.1         3,200
 Regulatory
 Commission
Office of            2,600          66.7         250           6.4         3,900
 Personnel
 Management
Peace Corps            714          79.3         714          79.3           901
Pension                764         100.0         100          13.1           764
 Benefit
 Guaranty
 Corporation
Railroad                19           1.4          21           1.5         1,412
 Retirement
 Board
Securities and       2,503          89.8         180           6.5         2,788
 Exchange
 Commission
Small Business       3,500         100.0       3,250          92.9         3,500
 Administration
Smithsonian          4,200          64.7       4,200          64.7         6,496
 Institution
Social              26,000          40.0       5,000           7.7        65,000
 Security
 Administratio
 n
Tennessee            8,131          51.9       7,000          44.7        15,659
 Valley
 Authority
U.S.                 5,405          78.9       2,900          42.3         6,850
 Information
 Agency
================================================================================
Total            1,695,690          50.4   1,048,320          31.1     3,366,578
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note:  We asked federal organizations to report the number of
employees with WWW access at their desktop workstations. 

\a Percentages calculated by GAO based on data provided by
organizations. 

\b The Corporation for National Service provides WWW access to its
employees through four common workstations, not to employees'
individual desktop workstations. 

\c The Department of Health and Human Services did not provide
information for three of its components--(1) the Administration for
Children and Families, (2) the Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research, and (3) the Health Research and Services Administration. 

\d The Department of State did not provide information. 

\e We asked the Executive Office of the President only to provide
information for OMB and the White House. 

Source:  GAO analysis of data provided by federal organizations. 


INTERNET AND BBS ACTIVITIES AT
THREE SELECTED AGENCIES
========================================================= Appendix VII

We performed work at three judgmentally selected agencies to gain a
better understanding of federal Internet and BBS activities.  These
agencies were (1) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), within the Department of Commerce; (2) Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS), within the Department of the Interior; and (3) Social
Security Administration (SSA).  The following summaries provide a
more in-depth look at Internet and BBS activities at these agencies
than can be obtained from presentation of only the expenditure and
other information provided earlier in this report.  We did not verify
the accuracy of the information contained in these summaries.  We
did, however, provide the agencies with a draft of the summaries to
ensure that we had accurately represented the information they
reported to us. 

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION

NOAA has approximately 13,500 employees nationwide.  The principal
mission of NOAA is to describe and predict changes in the earth's
environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to
ensure sustainable economic opportunity.  NOAA is responsible for
providing a variety of environmental data and information services,
such as meteorological, oceanographic, geodetic, and seismological
data.  Agencies within NOAA include (1) National Environmental
Satellite, Data and Information Service; (2) National Marine
Fisheries Service; (3) National Ocean Service; the (4) Office of
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; and (5) National Weather Service. 


      AGENCY INTERNET POLICY
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.1

NOAA has a written telecommunications policy covering areas such as
planning, management, security, and employee use of Internet
resources.  The policy's stated purpose is to facilitate use of
Internet products and services in management and decisionmaking
processes, ensure compliance with federal laws and regulations,
reinforce security safeguards, and increase user confidence in NOAA's
Internet products. 


      BENEFITS
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.2

NOAA policy states that use of the Internet greatly facilitates user
access to NOAA data and information services and, thus, furthers
NOAA's mission of disseminating its data and information to the
public, scientific community, and other government agencies.  For
example, electronic data transfer reduces NOAA employee paperwork as
well as time spent on data entry.  Further, the public benefits by
being able to access NOAA information in a timely manner. 


      OVERSIGHT
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.3

While NOAA has issued guidance on the use of the Internet, this
guidance does not specifically address whether employees are
authorized to use Internet resources for other than official
government business.  NOAA oversight of employee Internet activities
is primarily the responsibility of supervisors within NOAA program
and staff offices.  NOAA has taken disciplinary actions against three
employees for improper use of their Internet access. 


      INTERNET AND BBS ACTIVITY
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.4

NOAA reported maintaining about 383 distinct WWW sites on about 85
computers, providing access to about 95 databases of various NOAA
Earth system information, all linked through the NOAA homepage
(http://www.noaa.gov).  The NOAA WWW presence includes meteorological
data and satellite images of the earth's geography and weather.  In a
recent report to the Congress, NOAA described the information it
provides through the Internet.\10 For example, in 1995 NOAA provided
information, such as National Weather Service surface and upper air
observation data from its system of satellites, aircraft, and buoys,
to about 15,000 users per month.  Internet users are able to search
for, view, and obtain satellite data and images.  Other examples of
NOAA WWW data include (1) changes in land cover for the Chesapeake
Bay region, (2) historical daily maximum and minimum temperature and
precipitation data and climatological summaries for 2,200 locations
worldwide, and (3) sea-level data for selected areas of the Pacific,
Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. 

NOAA estimates that user demand for its data will approach a half
million inquiries each month by the beginning of the 21st century. 
NOAA reported that, from 1991 to 1995, requests for digital data
increased a hundredfold and online inquiries grew to over 200,000 per
month. 

According to NOAA, about 95 percent of its employees have Internet
e-mail access, and about 44 percent have access to the WWW at their
workstations.  As an example, NOAA said its employees use their WWW
access to connect with 13 separate NOAA offices through the Campus
Connectivity Demonstration project.  This Internet project allows
employees to freely share databases and information of differing
formats, procedures, and protocols over a common information
infrastructure. 

NOAA reported maintaining nine electronic dial-up BBSs during fiscal
years 1994 through 1996, one of which was discontinued at the end of
fiscal year 1996.  BBSs do not play a significant role in NOAA's
information dissemination strategy and are maintained to provide a
low-end access method.  These BBSs provide information such as
geodetic and global positioning data, local forecasts and warnings,
and climate data for building and road designs. 


--------------------
\10 Progress and Challenges:  A Report to Congress on NOAA Data
Management, August 1996. 


      INTERNET AND BBS
      EXPENDITURES
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.5

NOAA estimated Internet expenditures of about $6.5 million for fiscal
years 1994 through 1996--$1.3 million for 1994, $2.0 million for
1995, and $3.2 million for 1996--for providing Internet access to
employees and establishing and maintaining WWW sites.  NOAA estimated
BBS expenditures of approximately $29,000 for the 3-year period. 

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

The mission of the FWS is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and
wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the
American people.  FWS activities include biological monitoring,
pollution surveillance, fish and wildlife population studies, and
environmental impact assessment, among others.  The Service is
responsible for leadership in identifying, protecting, and restoring
endangered species of fish, wildlife, and plants.  FWS has
approximately 7,000 employees in over 400 different locations
nationwide. 


      AGENCY INTERNET POLICY
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.6

FWS Internet guidance covers a variety of information management
issues, including issues such as copyright protections, WWW
publishing, appropriate use, and security.  Regarding employees' use
of the Internet, the guidance describes it as another tool available
for employees to do their jobs and encourages employees to use the
Internet to do work-related tasks more effectively. 


      BENEFITS
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.7

FWS cited a number of examples to illustrate the range of benefits to
the agency that the Internet provides.  For example, distribution of
FWS National Wetlands Inventory maps tripled at a time when its
support staff was being reduced.  Also, it said posting new
publications on the WWW and implementing an automated e-mail service
has been very beneficial.  E-mail service provides news releases,
bulletins, and other information to about 1,800 subscribers.  The
service reported that it has increased public access to new
publications, saved on printing costs, and reached a variety of
interest groups without increasing the public affairs staff or
manually maintaining large mailing lists. 


      OVERSIGHT
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.8

On April 5, 1996, FWS issued a memorandum on use of the Internet to
all its employees.  The FWS memorandum, issued in response to a
Department of the Interior Inspector General's review, reminded
managers that they have considerable latitude in deciding how the
Internet should be used; but it also emphasized that FWS computers,
networks, e-mail services, and telephone facilities are for
government business and are not for personal use.  The memorandum
also provided several examples of prohibited activities.  According
to FWS, it has taken no disciplinary actions against FWS employees
for inappropriate use of Internet access. 


      INTERNET AND BBS ACTIVITY
----------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.9

FWS said it maintained 52 Internet WWW sites at the time of our
review.  FWS reported eight computers nationwide, which host the WWW
sites.  Each of the WWW sites is linked to the main FWS homepage
(http://www.fws.gov).  According to FWS each of its seven regions
also has WWW sites, each with numerous links to other FWS sites as
well as news and information about the wildlife refuges, hunting and
fishing permits, and other programs managed by the region.  Examples
of other FWS sites include the Endangered Species Program WWW site
and the National Wetlands Inventory office, which has three
sites--its homepage, the Wetland Values Database, and the Maps
Database.  The Endangered Species site provides information such as
lists of endangered species, the full text of the Endangered Species
Act, regional news, maps, photographs, and regulatory information for
private landowners. 

FWS estimated that approximately 5,000 employees, or 71 percent, have
Internet e-mail access and that about 2,500 employees, or 36 percent,
have access to the WWW from their desktop workstations. 


      INTERNET AND BBS
      EXPENDITURES
---------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.10

For fiscal years 1994 through 1996, FWS estimated spending $929,000
for providing Internet access to employees and for establishing and
maintaining WWW sites.  FWS estimated that its expenditures for each
of the fiscal years were $252,000 for 1994, $329,000 for 1995, and
$348,000 for 1996.  FWS did not maintain any dial-up BBSs. 

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

SSA, an independent agency, administers various federal programs for
retirees, the disabled, and their survivors.  SSA also assigns social
security numbers to citizens and maintains records of reported
earnings for individuals assigned a social security number.  SSA
currently pays benefits to over 48 million people, annually processes
235 million earnings reports from 6.5 million employers, and issues
17 million Social Security cards.  Headquartered in Baltimore,
Maryland, SSA operates 10 regional offices, 6 program service
centers, 1,300 field offices, and 140 hearings offices, with a total
workforce of about 65,000 employees. 


      AGENCY INTERNET POLICY
---------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.11

The Administration has issued guidance that addresses management of
and employees' use of SSA's Internet services.  The policy states
that SSA will "promote Internet access for SSA employees who have a
business-related need as determined by their respective components."
The policy also addresses WWW and Internet matters such as
appropriate WWW site content and maintenance and Internet security. 
The policy addresses compliance with federal laws such as the Privacy
Act and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act as well as OMB guidance.  The
policy clearly states that Internet access is only for official SSA
business and that employee usage "may be monitored for traffic,
statistical and security purposes."


      BENEFITS
---------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.12

SSA's Internet policy states that the WWW and related Internet
technologies hold great potential for providing information to the
public more quickly, extensively, and efficiently than ever before. 
The recent growth of the WWW and its use by the public, the policy
states, make it an increasingly attractive and effective
dissemination channel for SSA.  SSA reported a variety of Internet
benefits to both SSA employees and the general public.  These
benefits included being able to (1) quickly access technical tools
and resources, including software, that are essential to employees'
jobs and SSA's mission; (2) search vendor resources and make online
purchases for supplies at the lowest possible cost; (3) provide
increased public access to over 300 SSA information publications in
English and Spanish; and (4) provide information on assistance
available from local SSA offices. 

SSA also reported similar benefits from its BBSs.  Through regional
BBSs, managers have access to historical agency reports without
having to call the regional office or maintaining cabinets full of
paper reports.  It said the Online Wage Reporting BBS, currently in
the pilot testing stage, enables it to process wage reports
electronically, and SSA believes that when fully implemented, the BBS
could provide savings as companies file forms online rather than by
paper or on disk. 


      OVERSIGHT
---------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.13

Other than supervisory monitoring, SSA system managers currently do
not monitor employee Internet use.  SSA does maintain documentation
of the resources accessed through the Internet, however, and is
examining software that could be used to limit access to appropriate
Internet sites.  Officials from SSA's personnel and OIG offices told
us that they were not aware of any disciplinary actions for
employees' improper use of Internet resources. 


      INTERNET AND BBS ACTIVITY
---------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.14

SSA has been a participant on the Internet since 1989, providing
statistical data to educational facilities and other researchers.  In
May 1994, SSA began providing public access to "Social Security
Online"--SSA's main Internet WWW site (http://www.ssa.gov).  At the
time of our review, SSA reported having a total of 22 Internet WWW
sites.  These sites included those for regional and program offices
as well as specific SSA programs, such as SSA's Quick Reference Guide
for Employers, benefit information publications, and Social Security
welfare reform information sites.  In accordance with SSA policy, all
sites are to be maintained on one central computer and linked to
Social Security Online. 

SSA also said it recently began experimenting with online personal
earnings statements and benefits applications.  In April 1996, SSA
introduced a service to allow the public to make an online request
for a Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (PEBES). 
Through the WWW, a person was able to complete the form, send it to
SSA via the Internet, and receive a PEBES statement in the mail
within about 2 weeks.  In March 1997, SSA began providing the PEBES
results online, but suspended the service in April 1997 in response
to public concerns raised about the authentication elements used and
the potential for fraud.  To address these concerns, SSA said it is
seeking expert and public input through a series of national forums. 
SSA's goal remains to provide the PEBES results online in a
real-time, secure, interactive environment, provided the full range
of privacy and disclosure issues have been addressed.  SSA reported
that more than 1.2 million people have accessed Social Security
Online, 102,372 in the month of March 1997 alone.  More than 100,000
people have requested their PEBES by mail since the program began. 
During the 1-month period that the PEBES results were available
online, more than 71,000 people requested and received their PEBES
results instantly. 

SSA reported that about 26,000 employees, or 40 percent, have access
to Internet e-mail and approximately 5,000 employees, or 8 percent,
have access to the WWW at their desktop workstations. 

SSA also said it provides public and employee access to its
information using eight BBSs.  SSA is currently pilot testing its
Online Wage Reporting BBS.  Other BBSs provide employers with
information such as changes in Social Security reporting procedures
and forms, or they provide SSA employees access to SSA policies and
reports. 


      INTERNET AND BBS
      EXPENDITURES
---------------------------------------------------- Appendix VII:0.15

SSA reported significant increases in expenditures for providing
Internet access to employees and for establishing and maintaining a
WWW presence.  During fiscal years 1994 through 1996, SSA estimated
spending about $86,000, $576,000 and $910,000, respectively. 

SSA also reported significant increases in estimated expenditures for
its BBSs over the last 3 fiscal years--$72,000 in 1994, $130,000 in
1995, and $455,000 in 1996.  SSA reported that the increase in BBS
expenditures was due to costs associated with its Online Wage
Reporting BBS for system improvements such as increasing the number
of telephone lines, modems, computers, and printers, and to provide
additional training to BBS personnel. 


MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT
======================================================== Appendix VIII

GENERAL GOVERNMENT DIVISION

James H.  Burow, Assistant Director
Michael W.  Jarvis, Senior Evaluator
Don D.  Allison, Senior Evaluator
Michael A.  Tovares, Evaluator
Thomas M.  Beall, Social Science Analyst
Stuart M.  Kaufman, Social Science Analyst
Vasiliki Theodoropoulos, Senior Evaluator/Communications Analyst

ACCOUNTING AND INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT DIVISION

Larry J.  Modlin, Assistant Director
Mirko J.  Dolak, Technical Assistant Director

OFFICE OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
AND COMMUNICATION

Stephen F.  Palincsar, Webmaster
Jane K.  Ervin, Publications Graphic Specialist
Joseph Carmel, Computer Specialist
Kenneth L.  Cooper, Electronic Publications Specialist

OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL

Susan Michal-Smith, Senior Attorney

DALLAS FIELD OFFICE

Linda J.  Libician, Evaluator-in-Charge
Marcia B.  McWreath, Evaluator
Christina M.  Nicoloff, Evaluator
James L.  Rose, Evaluator
Enemencio S.  Sanchez, Evaluator
James W.  Turkett, Evaluator

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