postpack - spam emails

[jont]

Google searches of businesses operating on the internet. ..... I do feel this would be more professional than subversive actions which are certainly not ethical and may indeed be illegal.

Accessing files that are not intended for public display viz "xxxxx" ... is that classed as hacking, industrial espionage, privacy invasion?

[grantglendinnin]

Surely, as Actinic scripts are the ones being infiltrated, Actinic have some power to put an end to this?

[jont]

If PostPack are so ethical why have they blocked their xxxxxx file?

[Darren B]

for those wanting to block this then add the following to your htaccess file

Filename Removed - Moderator.

perhaps actinic can comment on any adverse effects this might have, everything seems to be fine on sites i have tested but make sure yours is ok

D

[Benjamin Dyer]

I have just had a conversation with PostPack.

They have agreed to remove certain details from their database, no one should be receiving any unsolicited mail to a personal address.

From an Actinic perspective we are working to obfuscate any information that is not intended for public display. A quick solution would be to alter the file permissions as already mentioned or a 301 redirect as Darren suggests.

[Benjamin Dyer]

perhaps actinic can comment on any adverse effects this might have, everything seems to be fine on sites i have tested but make sure yours is ok

Thats fine, it wont cause any problems.

[cbarling]

I will shortly be pulling the thread (or editing it extensively).

Keeping the details of this hack available online is more likely to help spam harvesters than protect sites. As far as I'm aware, in the 12 years that Actinic has been deployed, no one has done email harvesting like this before so let's keep it like that for the future.

We will come back in the next couple of days with the plans for a fix.

In my opinion, it is likely that harvesting email addresses in this way is an offence under the Computer Misuse Act. I can state categorically that Actinic isn't designed to allow emails to be grabbed like this.

Ben will has posted above on the discussions he has held with the company in question.

Chris

[grantglendinnin]

They have agreed to remove certain details from their database, no one should be receiving any unsolicited mail to a personal address.

Regardless if it is sent to a personal or business e-mail address, it's still unsolicited e-mails. They say 'Ignorance is Bliss', I'm beginning to think otherwise.

The attitude shown by Post Pack's representative is nothing short of disgusting, it really is a shame Actinic's name got dragged through the dirt because of a single person showing a complete and utter lack of respect and disregard for others' business.

[animal dreams]

I have sent a email to Mr Turner challenging him to explain exactly how his organisation acquired our email addresses which are not in the public domain.

[jont]

Thats fine, it wont cause any problems.

Thanks for clarifying that Ben.

[NicolaUK]

I will shortly be pulling the thread (or editing it extensively).

Keeping the details of this hack available online is more likely to help spam harvesters than protect sites. As far as I'm aware, in the 12 years that Actinic has been deployed, no one has done email harvesting like this before so let's keep it like that for the future.

We will come back in the next couple of days with the plans for a fix.

In my opinion, it is likely that harvesting email addresses in this way is an offence under the Computer Misuse Act. I can state categorically that Actinic isn't designed to allow emails to be grabbed like this.

Ben will has posted above on the discussions he has held with the company in question.

Chris

Please don't pull the thread but do make any necessary edits - people need to know these sort of actions aren't ok.

I feel a little sorry for postpack as they've taken the flak for this when really it's RDEurotech from what I can see - wonder why Robert had to create a new account here to post rather than use his old one? http://community.actinic.com/member.php?u=8672

I reported them yesterday and suggest others do the same.

[pinbrook]

Chris, could you leave the naming and shaming in place please?

just add a request to contact support for the solution

[NicolaUK]

I've just had another 3, despite me asking them to remove me from at least one - am seriously annoyed now.

[pinbrook]

I reported them yesterday and suggest others do the same

i reported them today

[chris ashdown]

Late as ever to a new thread

I received one of the messages and thought OK, I will give them a go, as we needed some new stock, but then received another half dozen addressed to my other sites and go pissed off and scrapped plans to contact them

Just like PPC and SEO companies who do a five second check on your site then contact you and say they can improve your site and this keyword "workwear" shows you at number 99 or somewhere, what would any reasonable company expect for such a broad term, like search Cars and where would ford be (not on first page cannot be bothered to look further)

Spend more time on research rather than blanket hit a unknown market