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Don't make the automatic response
From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Tuesday 25th Jun 2002.
A LOCAL company specialising in internet security is warning firms to review their e-mail policies to avoid employees being placed at risk from criminals using e-mail signature messages to obtain personal details.
Swindon-based Equiinet points out that automatic response messages are used to inform anyone e-mailing a specific e-mail address that the person they are trying to reach is unable to respond.
Many people create automatic messages that say they will not be back in the office until a certain date, allowing others to conclude they are probably away on holiday.
The `away from' e-mail messages are typically sent indiscriminately the first time an e-mail is received.
Equiinet, the leading supplier of multi functional server appliances, decided not to introduce automated e-mail response because of the danger of employees exposing themselves or their employer to risk when setting up the messages.
Criminals can exploit this system by buying spam e-mail lists with which to send a test message to millions of recipients.
They then identify those people who are away and look up their home addresses using a simple online directory. The technique even allows burglars to guess the potential value of goods.
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