What is Communications Data?

[Ian G Batten]

On Fri, 08 Nov 2002, Watkin Simon wrote:

> Received: from aphhm009.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk (APHHM009 [10.74.30.19])
> by apheb005.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk with SMTP (Microsoft Exchange
> Internet Mail Service Version 5.5.2650.21) id SWVVF5TZ; Fri, 8 Nov
> 2002 15:04:22 -0000

Information about the layout of your internal network, and the software
it uses.

> Received: from mail2.gsi.gov.uk (unverified) by
> aphhm009.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk (Content Technologies SMTPRS 4.2.5)
> with SMTP id <T5e7096e1040a4a1e130c2@aphhm009.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk>
> for <simon.watkin@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk>; Fri, 8 Nov 2002 15:04:22
> +0000

Information about the layout of your internal network, and the software
it uses.

> Received: by gsi.gov.uk (8.9.3/BISCUIT) with ESMTP id PAA07149 for
> <simon.watkin@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk>; Fri, 8 Nov 2002 15:04:21 GMT

Interesting fact that the government is running a release of Sendmail
which is riddled with security problems, and that its engineers probably
don't version control their sendmail.cf file (BISCUIT, indeed).  And
that the government's love-in with Microsoft doesn't extend to choice of
MTAs.

> Received: from [212.137.34.52] (helo=gateway252.gsi.gov.uk) by
> gsi-swi-mail2.gsi.gov.uk with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1) id 18AAaB-0002K5-00
> for simon.watkin@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk; Fri, 08 Nov 2002 14:58:03
> +0000

Information that the government doesn't run its reverse DNS sensibly,
but has chosen Exim for external mail.


> Received: from gateway2.gsi.net ([194.6.79.45]
> helo=gateway2.gsi.gov.uk) by gateway252.gsi.gov.uk with esmtp (Exim
> 3.35 #1) id 18AAR7-0001lT-00 for simon.watkin@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk;
> Fri, 08 Nov 2002 14:48:41 +0000

More Exim.

> Received: from mail9.messagelabs.com ([194.205.110.133]) by
> gateway2.gsi.gov.uk with smtp (Exim 3.36 #2) id 18AAQz-0002p8-00 for
> simon.watkin@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk; Fri, 08 Nov 2002 14:48:33 +0000

The government doesn't run its own virus scanner, but contracts it out
to another company.  Worth knowing.

ian