Re: US Military bans HTML in emails

Bill Gunshannon wrote:

In article <459B1E24.D49B3A76@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
David J Dachtera <djesys.no@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
Bill Gunshannon wrote:

In article <45994666.8290CDCF@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
David J Dachtera <djesys.no@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
Bill Gunshannon wrote:

In article <459807A6.EF027BAC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
David J Dachtera <djesys.no@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
Bill Gunshannon wrote:

In article <459783d4$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Peter 'EPLAN' LANGSTOEGER) writes:
In article <f0252$45976d1c$cef8887a$29035@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
http://www.fcw.com/article97178-12-22-06-Web
##
Due to an increased network threat condition, the Defense Department is
blocking all HTML-based e-mail messages and has banned the use of Outlook
Web Access e-mail applications, according to a spokesman for the Joint Task
Force for Global Network Operations.
##

Better late than never. I banned them (and MIME mails) some years ago
(though I run my mail on VMS and don't fear virii/worms)...

"Text mails only here. No HTML or binaries needed for proper communications..."

What do you do when someone needs to send a Word document to someone else
at a remote location (inbound or outbound)? The Business Woirld still
runs on MS Office, like it or not.

Word documents can also carry malware. Likely to be banned also, sometime soon.

Highly unlikely. Attempts by others to supplant MS Word have, up to this
point, proved unsuccessful.

In theory, and admittedly arguably, it already has been supplanted by mandate of
multiple federal laws in some privacy-sensitive industries.


Boy would I like to see those laws. "Unfair restraint of trade" comes
immediately to mind.

Read up on HIPAA and, to some extent, Sarb/Ox.

Both of them specify behaviours. Neither of them specifically bans the
use of any commercial product by name.

....which rather like saying that marijuana is a controlled substance, but
"Acapulco Gold (Filter, Regular and Menthol)" is not.

More specifically, HIPAA requires, among other things, that privacy be
protected. So, software which cannot guarantee the protection of privacy would
be excluded by both definition and implication, regardless of the "brand name".

That would be "Unfair restraint
of trade". You are making an interpretation basec on your (erroneous)
concept that it is impossible to secure an MS systems or application.

This is not "erroneous". It is, as we all know, profusely documented.

[snip]
But that's my point. They are all the industry knows and there is no
sign that this is going to change anytime soon. How can it? If all
they are willing to use is MS they will never become familiar with
anything else. An IT guy suggesting otherwise puts his job in jeopardy.
What was the old saying? "No one ever put their job in jeopardy by
recommending IBM." Just change that to MS and you have the situation
today.

....although even this is changing, for reasons not limited to security and/or
stability.


Given that there are currently alternatives that are easier to
install, more functional and more efficient you would think MS
would already be on the down swing. Reality is that they are not.

Reality also is that alternatives are on the up-swing while M$ is likewise.
(Think: difference in "rate of climb")

Name the Fortune 500 companies who have abandoned MS corporately!

My point would be better illustrated by asking how many companies - regardless
of rank, governments and other agencies, etc. are adopting M$-alternatives while
still increasing/maintaining their existing levels of M$ deployment?

Heck, make that Fortune 1000. Numbers probably the same anyway.
[snip]
Sorry, the government may allow other options but they are never going
to be allowed to ban MS products.

The information cited by the O.P. seems to contradict that.

MS will have to loose in the marketplace

I think their crap is loose enough as it is.

--
David J Dachtera
dba DJE Systems
http://www.djesys.com/

Unofficial OpenVMS Marketing Home Page
http://www.djesys.com/vms/market/

Unofficial Affordable OpenVMS Home Page:
http://www.djesys.com/vms/soho/

Unofficial OpenVMS-IA32 Home Page:
http://www.djesys.com/vms/ia32/

Unofficial OpenVMS Hobbyist Support Page:
http://www.djesys.com/vms/support/
.

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