Quite - I asked similar - do they maintain a list of all installed software and regularly check relevant security lists etc. to ensure that they're always up to date?

I bet not ...

If thay haven't it makes "the security and stability of our systems is of paramount importance to us." pure spin.

Maybe time will tell.

"Overnight we built new Webmail servers which will be used to host a temporary Webmail solution. We hope to make this available tomorrow. This temporary solution is based upon the tried and tested SquirrelMail"

Does anyone else see this as out of the frying pan into the fire?

My understanding is they are still addressing the security issue that caught them out last week and now they are planning on rolling out overnight a new solution. I acknowledge that SquirrelMail is an established product but surely there is the issue of how it fits into PlusNet's platform and thus needs testing?

In reply to:

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We will be emailing all of our customers later today to detail our plans for dealing with Spam in the future.

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I think they should not send this out. It is information overload and can wait till much later.

I look at the communication by PN from my dad's point of view and what has been sent out thus far would make him very confused and apprehensive. The emails sent do not contain enough useful information on what or how they can make the changes to protect themselves. It would have been wise, IMO, to have sent an email detailing that their system had been compromised and then a step-by-step instruction on how to change the password on the portal, the email client and the router. Although the latter two would have been difficult because of the variety of different hardware equipment in use it would have been a good attempt to try and address the main ones.

Their FAQ is long overdue and can't come soon enough. We must remember that the majority of people have no idea on how to make these changes and need a helping hand.

Edited by rsharma (Thu 17-May-07 13:50:03)

Fair point... the bulk of users will find the information complex and confusing.. a lot of it is too general and lacks concise "what to do" information...

A query in relation to your blog.

"but we need to find a solution foremost in order to be able to communicate with others via email again."

In what way is email unusable? (Excluding webmail only users - or is that your point.)

>In what way is email unusable? (Excluding webmail only users - or is that your point.)

Both. One is the inability to use webmail and the other, for those that are already receiving large amounts of spam, on how to manage their accounts in order to read genuine emails.

Large amounts?

I am receiving the messages detailed... Adobe, WonderC** etc but the total messages total less than 20 in the last week... all of which have been dealt with by spamchecker/outlook etc. I do not in any way at all to play down the MAJOR (*insert expletive of your own choosing*) by PLUSNET, who have let us down in a highy basic unexcusable and unsatisfactory way but is saying that email is unusable going a little too far?

Those of course who have had "virgin" mail addresses will feel the most aggrieved. Like the first time you get a scratch on a new car, likewise those who's children have access to affected email. Plusnet need to implement measures to improve/remove spam before it reaches peoples inboxes.

Paddy - you might have 20 - but some of us have had *multiple* email addresses compromised leading to a significant multiplication on those figures ....

Filtering through 80-100 emails to find the 1 real email is a royal PITA on a setup which previously saw 5 spam a day tops ...

Paddy,

Unfortunately I seem to be getting 20-30 a day at the moment when previously I got none. This is making email unusable for me very quickly as it will only increase.

quite understandable... a major PITA in that circumstance.

I also have multiples - based on [email protected].. not seen anything major yet, must be lucky I guess or alternatively receiving the junk only as a result of being a contact in anothers webmail address book.

Have PN published anything that advises what proportion of users are affected.? though given efficiency on this to date, Im guessing they would not have a clue.

Edited by deleted (Thu 17-May-07 14:14:15)