HP's email bugging secrets revealed

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

NEWS

HP used a commercial service that tracks email paths to bug a file sent to a CNET News.com reporter, an HP investigator said on Thursday.

HP investigators used the services of ReadNotify.com to trace an email sent to reporter Dawn Kawamoto in an attempt to uncover her source in a media leak, Fred Adler, an HP security employee, said during testimony before a US House of Representatives subcommittee.

Adler's testimony, for the first time since the HP boardroom drama erupted, specified how the company bugged the email it sent to Kawamoto. Moreover, Adler said that it's still company practice to use email bugs in certain cases.

"That was and still is current policy," he said. "It still is sanctioned by my management as an investigative tool, we have used it in the past for investigations, for determining the locations of stolen products and what-not, and we have also assisted law enforcement."

The tracking mechanism provided by ReadNotify would allow investigators to see who opened the file attached to the email, Adler said. The objective was to determine whether the journalist would forward the email to her source, and to then determine the source of the leaks of HP confidential information.

Through ReadNotify, investigators would see when the email attachment was opened and the Internet Protocol, or IP, address of the computer it was opened on, Adler said. An IP address can disclose the geographic location of a user, as well as the Internet service provider used to connect to the Internet.

"We suspected it would be Mr Keyworth who would be the recipient," Adler said, referring to George Keyworth, the HP board member who has admitted he leaked information to the media.

During a press conference at HP headquarters last week, Michael J Holston, a lawyer hired by HP, said that bugging email did not yield results in this case.

ReadNotify, which operates as an online service, provides a free trial that lets anyone send 25 bugged emails, according to its Web site. Subscriptions are offered starting at $24 (£12.85) per year. A premium $36 (£19.29)-a-year subscription is required to bug files such as Office and PDF documents. A similar service operates as MailTracking.com.

ReadNotify's service makes bugging email a matter of pointing and clicking. The ReadNotify Web page will generate a document with an image. This image, a green check mark, can simply be dragged and dropped into the document that needs to be traced. The check mark becomes transparent after being dropped.

Users of the service register their email addresses with ReadNotify, then simply append ".readnotify.com" to any email address they send mail to if they want the message to be tracked. Recipients won't see this suffix, but could tell from the email headers that the message was relayed.

In the default ReadNotify setting, an email recipient could discover something is awry because a return receipt message may pop up, but the service also has an "invisible tracking" setting, according to the Web site.

ReadNotify offers a range of tracking options. Users can see the IP addresses of those who opened bugged emails or documents, including details on when the mail or file was opened. The service also shows some data on the PC and email program. If the mail or file was forwarded, it shows the same data on that person.

The ReadNotify service appears to use what's known as a Web bug, a technique also employed by some email marketers. An email or a document sent through ReadNotify includes hidden links to one or more files hosted by the service. When the message or the file is opened, the program retrieves the files and by doing so checks in with ReadNotify.

A typical recipient will not notice this. The email is crafted in HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language, and the tracer files are not visible. The actual links that retrieve the files will only show…

Talkback

Instead of avoiding HTML emails altogether, you could also encrypt the email attachments or email messages in HTML with email anti-theft software, converting documents into .ecc's. This unfortunately will not stop them from tracking the email, but it prevents them from being able to access its contents. An article in the Seattle Times talks about one email anti-theft solution that you could use.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/personaltechnology/2003209737_ptinbo19.html

via Facebook 29 September, 2006 20:27
Reply

Email virus... er' tracking software like ReadNotify's pointing and click software also has it's foil in email anti-theft technology.

You can also secure your email privacy with one-click by using tools that strip unwanted bits of data and authenticate users http://www.essentialsecurity.com/FAQ.htm#2.5

HP had better ways to ensure it's competitive edge than employing email tracers, pre-texting and dumpster diving.

via Facebook 29 September, 2006 21:24
Reply

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

Roberto_Store

Now On Sale, Unlocked iPhone 4S / Galaxy Note In Factory Box. Roberto-Techie(UK) ”Now on Sales” Smartphone, Android,Tablets,Gadget &...

48 minutes ago by Roberto_Store on Samsung Galaxy S III lined up for sale
Paul Smyth

Is this classic FUD? One thing I would definitely have notice is a Mozilla threat to stop supporting GNU/Linux.

3 hours ago by Paul Smyth via Facebook on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
UnderINK

I agree with the previous commenter wholeheartedly. I couldn't say it better myself. This is very 'Big Brother'. And while I agree with protecting...

7 hours ago by UnderINK on European e-identity plan to be unveiled this month
Simon Bisson and Mary Branscombe

Nice to see that Turing's idea of a general purpose computer doing once-hardware-powered tasks in software is now universal ;-) Mary

12 hours ago by Simon Bisson and Mary Branscombe on Software with everything
Jason Burchell

seriously now. I've only bothered to read a small bit of the comments. do me and the rest of the world a favour. stop saying it does not work or...

16 hours ago by Jason Burchell via Facebook on Music industry negotiating over 24-bit downloads
Philip Charles Cohen

Read about it and weep, John Donahoe ... In addition to Visa’s V.me, there is now MasterCard’s PayPass digital wallet soon to arrive; another...

20 hours ago by Philip Charles Cohen via Facebook on PayPal takes phone-based payments to the high street
apexwm

Leslie Satenstein : Where have you ever seen Mozilla even mention this? Firefox is the most popular browser in the GNU/Linux OS, so I don't see...

21 hours ago by apexwm on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
songmaster

SHleG: Do you remember building a clockwork scorpion kit (I'm pretty sure I have a photo of it somewhere) — I think it was called something like...

23 hours ago by songmaster on Software with everything
Chris Wortman

Good I love Yahoo! Their search engine is getting better than Google as of late. I find more of what I want on the first page, and usually within...

23 hours ago by Chris Wortman via Facebook on Linux Mint 13 ramps up for KDE release
PatrickG

openhgs has made the point for Windows 8 multiple monitors without realising it! With Windows 7 you have to switch the mouse and so your focus...

1 day ago by PatrickG on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
Leslie Satenstein

Mozilla has threatened to stop supporting Linux. I guess that UBUNTU is going with another browser. I indicated that if Mozilla stops supporting...

1 day ago by Leslie Satenstein via Facebook on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
Andy Bolstridge

Much as I abhor Microsoft's licensing practices, this is almost certainly down to purchasing IT equipment via 3rd party consultants - you get the...

1 day ago by Andy Bolstridge via Facebook on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT
Jack Schofield

@openhgs Windows users have had multiple desktops since Linus started writing Linux. They just haven't shipped as standard because not enough...

2 days ago by Jack Schofield on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
Jack Schofield

@Phil at Cloud4 What, Microsoft gets £1,200 per PC and £1,622 per server? Gosh, I'm amazed....

2 days ago by Jack Schofield on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT
craigsc

You guys have no idea what is going on at Autonomy. Autonomy could have been a much more profitable organization. The sales operations at Autonomy...

2 days ago by craigsc on HP cuts 27,000 staff as Autonomy chief Lynch leaves
Moley

How does this impact on dual or multi booting? Seems to me to more or less prohibit this, from Windows 8 anyway. Will Grub 2 recognise Windows 8,...

2 days ago by Moley on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround
apexwm

I don't understand why there cannot be a slight pause during the boot process so the user can press a key. Many operating systems do this, even if...

2 days ago by apexwm on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround
Gavin Goodman

You can now buy the Xi3 modular computer in the UK at http://www.ocdistribution.com . This can be bought with the Tand3m software, pricing and...

2 days ago by Gavin Goodman on CES 2012: Xi3 microSERV3R
Phil at Cloud4

I agree: Mike Lynch can clearly build a business and manage strategy. I suspect the exit of Mike is more likely the end of a planned handover...

2 days ago by Phil at Cloud4 on HP cuts 27,000 staff as Autonomy chief Lynch leaves
Phil at Cloud4

This is unbeleivable government wastage with only one winner... Microsoft 1 - Tax payer Nil!

2 days ago by Phil at Cloud4 on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT