Information Leaks from Vacation Replies

Posted: Mon, 23 February 2009 | permalink | No comments

As if there weren't already enough reasons not to use out-of-office replies, here's a new one I haven't seen before (from a web design company, I think):

I am out of the office until Monday, 9 March.

For LargeCorpA, please contact Person A at person.a@example.com.

For LargeCorpB, SmallCompany1, or SmallCompany2, please contact Person B at person.b@example.com.

Well, I now know several companies who are clients of this web design company that I didn't know before. So, there's a nice corporate info gathering trick -- send e-mail to known addresses at your competitors on a regular basis (especially during holiday-prone times, like school holidays and Christmas/New Year) and see if they'll give you lists of their clients for free, like this helpful person has.


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