Hilarity ensues from Homeland Security email glitch

[Jenna]

Did anyone on LEF get these wacky Homeland Security listserv emails? Sounds almost as fun as LEF!

Every day, the Department of Homeland Security emails an “Open Source Intelligence Report” about the nation’s critical infrastructure to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of security and emergency officials working for corporations, governors’ offices, big city police forces and myriad federal agencies.

Early today, one recipient requested a change in his email address, mistakenly contacting the entire subscriber list. The error set off a chain reaction of responses, revealing once-private email addresses, contact details and a glimpse of how some react to a Homeland Security crisis.

One immediately started networking: “I don’t think everyone realizes that yet, but what a nice way for all of us to get to know one another!” he wrote to the list, punctuating his observance with a little smiley face. That prompted another to suggest everyone on the list provide a local weather report. Some emailed pictures and their phone numbers and street addresses.

Many weren’t so jolly, demanding right in the subject line: “TAKE ME OFF THIS LIST.” That served to generate even more email traffic as others clicked on the powerful “reply to all” option, adding to the accidental DHS spam.

One outraged recipient took the time to set up an anonymous gmail account with user identity “youmorons7” and write a blistering note: “I can see the CNN story on this tomorrow. The DHS’s mail server was crashed yesterday by a group of security ‘professionals’ that are part of our nation’s defense against attack. Because a large number of these ‘professionals’ did not understand how mail reflectors work and what function their reply button served, many of them contributed to the massive wave of e-mail nearly brought the server down."

“The wave of messages was followed by an equally large tide of ‘unsubscribe’ requests that were also relayed to thousands of subscribers. Combined, these messages were found to be the trigger of the crash event. One insider that was interviewed said ‘We should all be able to sleep soundly knowing that this group may be the one of the lines of defense in the protection of our nation.’”

A senior DHS official described the incident was a “non-event” for the department’s own security. No systems crashed; no backdoors were revealed. The reaction of the security professionals on the list, he said, was “much more worrying.”

A sample of the emails that filled our inbox:
“I like long walks on the beach and a nice chardonnay with my roasted duck.”
“Or even a nice chianti with that roasted duck — it is autumn!”
“Look at this as a business development opportunity.”
“Does anyone need homeland security consulting?”
“Howdy from Tampa, a sunny place for shady people.”
“I’m a Sagittarius …”
“ I like scuba diving …” And one person wrote:
“Classification: UNCLASSIFIED what does that mean?”

Email Crisis Strikes Homeland Security
Robert Block
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/10/03/email-crisis-strikes-homeland-security/

[Big Sexy]

BIG SEXY is a DHS employee and receives a lot of emails. But, he nor anyone in his SAIC got any of the emails, to which this article claims.

[Lazy Fed]

BIG SEXY is a DHS employee and receives a lot of emails. But, he nor anyone in his SAIC got any of the emails, to which this article claims.

Me either, mine was working just fine

[tapout]

[

A sample of the emails that filled our inbox:
“I like long walks on the beach and a nice chardonnay with my roasted duck.”
“Or even a nice chianti with that roasted duck — it is autumn!”

those guys get paid too much

my budget is more popeyes chicken with a hi-c fruit punch, or possibly a nice minute maid lemonade

[Virginian]

I can vouch for the fact that many federal computer "experts" can't find the escape key without help.

[Jenna]

BIG SEXY is a DHS employee and receives a lot of emails. But, he nor anyone in his SAIC got any of the emails, to which this article claims.

Me either, mine was working just fine

You guys had me worried that I had fallen for some kind of urban legend, or worse taken a parody seriously. So I googled to see if that was the case. But the New York Times says it happened, so it must have happenedl!

The list members seem to be military officers and civilian contractors, not LEOs. They even seem to have subscribers in Jordan and Iran, at least one of whom seems not so proficient at English (unless that's also a joke!)

Here are some more examples of the discussion on the list: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/us...re.html?ref=us

Some of these are really funny! These folks should be on LEF!

[PapaBear]

those guys get paid too much

my budget is more popeyes chicken with a hi-c fruit punch, or possibly a nice minute maid lemonade

I take advantage of their Tuesday Special - two pieces of chicken for a dollar!!!

[Ducky]

those guys get paid too much

my budget is more popeyes chicken with a hi-c fruit punch, or possibly a nice minute maid lemonade

Our Popeyes burned down, I miss it!

[Cidp24]

My fav after reading the link below - LMAO!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/us...re.html?ref=us


Subject: RE: DHS_Daily_Report_2007-10-02
From: "Smith, Michael B. Mr OASA\(I&E\)-Plexus Contractor"
To: "Wight, Collins"
Cc: "Ryan-Bunger, Gisela
Dear Mr. Alex Greene (the guy who started this mess),
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest you armpits and may a yak in heat make love to your shin.