Department of Defense Now Blocking HTML Email

[Paul Vixie <paul () vix com>]

it's about time.

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/24/1922216

"The Department of Defense (DoD) has taken the step of blocking HTML-based
email. They are also banning the use of Outlook Web Access email clients. The
DoD is making this move because HTML messages can easily be infected with
spyware and executable lines of code that enable hackers to access DoD
networks, according to an article in Federal Computer Week by Bob Brewin . A
spokesman for the Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO)
claims that this is a response to an increased network threat condition. The
network threat condition has risen from Information Condition 5 to Information
Condition 4 (also called Infocon 4). InfoCon 5 is normal operating conditions
and Infocon 4 comes as a result of 'continuing and sophisticated threats'
against DoD Networks. The change to Infocon 4 came in mid-November, after the
Naval War College suffered devastating attacks that required their entire
system be taken offline, but the JTF-GNO spokesman claims there is no
connection."
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