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  • From: Beckett <thomas AT tbeckett.com>
  • To: internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [internetworkers] [Fwd: Inappropriate e-mail you may have received about Silent Sam]
  • Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 09:25:37 -0400

Did anyone else get this? They say that the UNC Alumni database hasn't been compromised, but they're selling it on CD-ROMs. Apparently this email abuser cut-and-pasted from the CD-ROM, but what's to stop some spammer and a Perl script from doing the same thing again? Yeesh.
TaB
--- Begin Message ---
  • From: "UNC General Alumni Assn." <alumni AT gaa.unc.edu>
  • To: thomas AT tbeckett.com
  • Subject: Inappropriate e-mail you may have received about Silent Sam
  • Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 00:41:10 -0400
In the past 24 hours, the UNC General Alumni Association has become aware
and alarmed as a result of an inappropriate e-mail sent to UNC alumni with
the subject: UNC's Silent Sam is in danger! We have determined that only
alumni with last names beginning with "A" through "C" and into the letter
"D" received this e-mail.

Please understand that the GAA is taking this unauthorized use of alumni
information very seriously. Please be assured that there has not been a
breach
in the security of alumni data. The person who sent this e-mail, who is an
alumnus, chose to disregard the "copyright" information* stated on the 2002
CD-ROM alumni directory and has misused individual alumni data contained
in the directory. The GAA also does not endorse or advocate the position
stated in the e-mail message or on the Web site to which this e-mail linked.

Our initial investigation into this incident has provided us with this
additional
information:

- The message was sent by an alumnus of UNC.

- This alumnus purchased a 2002 UNC Alumni Directory CD-ROM in September
2002.

- From the CD-ROM directory, this individual created a file of UNC alumni
e-mail addresses by manually copying and pasting the individual e-mail
address
for each alumnus.

- An additional disturbing problem with this incident was that, when an
alumnus
receiving the original message replied to the "mailer" address in the
original
e-mail, that message was then mailed to numerous alumni on the list as well,
perpetuating the nuisance of this incident.

What the GAA has done in response to this incident:

1. On Monday afternoon, April 21, the alumnus responsible was identified
and told to stop sending e-mail messages to UNC alumni. The alumnus agreed
to comply.

2. At approximately 9 p.m., Monday, the alumnus responsible was contacted
again, and he confirmed that at 4 p.m. he had directed the shutdown of the
server sending the inappropriate e-mails.

3. The alumnus responsible is receiving a "cease and desist" letter from
both the GAA and the Harris Publishing Co., the GAA's partner in publishing
the directory.

In closing, the GAA is extremely disappointed that your e-mail address has
been abused by a fellow alumnus. The GAA has taken great care to ensure that
alumni information cannot be downloaded from the CD-ROM directory or from
the online directory.

While that level of security had been achieved, it is not possible to prevent
someone from breaking the copyright restrictions and taking data for
unauthorized
use in a time-consuming, manual method of copying and pasting, one record
at a time.

We are extremely sorry for this inconvenience. Many alumni clearly appreciate
the ability to look up classmates in the 2002 directories as well as the
online directory, so it is particularly unfortunate that someone has abused
this service.

You may have further questions. Please do not hesitate to contact Roger
Nelsen,
Director of Alumni Records and Information Systems, toll-free at
1-877-377-7125
or by e-mail at roger_nelsen AT unc.edu.

Sincerely,


Douglas S. Dibbert
President, UNC General Alumni Association

*Alumni Directory copyright:
This directory is for official University and General Alumni Association
use and also for individual communication of a personal nature between
members
listed herein. Use of this directory for any other purpose, including, but
not limited to, reproducing and storing in a retrieval system by any means,
electronic or mechanical, photocopying or using the addresses (electronic
or otherwise) or other information contained in this directory for any
private,
commercial, or political mailing is strictly prohibited and is in direct
violation of copyright and constitutes misappropriation of corporate
property.
Such unauthorized use may also violate the rights of privacy and/or publicity
of individuals listed herein and may constitute tortious interference with
contractual relationships related to this publication.

700279960


--- End Message ---



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