BY PETER BACQUE Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Someone sent an embarrassing e-mail to employees of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency using the state IT chief's e-mail address.
VITA is responsible for establishing information security practices for the state.
"It has nothing to do with the [state's IT] network or security," Lemuel C. Stewart Jr., the state's chief information officer, said of the fraudulent e-mail incident. "As bad as it is, it's not a breach of information security."
The perpetrator of the offensive message faces legal action if the state can determine who sent it, he said.
However, that is not likely. VITA was able to trace the message back to a computer server in Germany, he said, but no further.
Cast in vulgar terms, the Feb. 14 phony e-mail to about 200 employees was critical of Stewart's handling of the state's information technology system.
"This one, of course, did not originate from me," Stewart wrote VITA employees shortly after the e-mail incident. "I am sorry for any consternation this nuisance e-mail may have caused."
The message was a "spoofed" e-mail, Stewart said.
Spoofing is forging an e-mail so that the message appears to have originated from someplace other than the real source.
Since 2004, Stewart has overseen the consolidation of about 90 government agency IT systems into VITA and the subsequent outsourcing of the state's information-technology infrastructure in a $2 billion contract with industry giant Northrop Grumman.
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The email in question:
From: MC Lemmy Lem[SMTP:LEM.STEWART@VITA.VIRGINIA.GOV]
Creation
time: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 2:40:35 PM
To: VITA
Subject: [Possible
SPAM] Sad news...
Auto forwarded by a Rule
I seem to have run out of Viagra. Unfortunately this will mean less
vigorous screwings of the Commonwealth citizens. My apologies.
-Lem
[Possible SPAM] -- Virginia
Information Technology Agencies' (VITA's)
SPAM prevention system has flagged
this message. Many parameters are considered when determining if an e-mail is
possible SPAM. If this message is from a known and trusted source, you may
disregard this warning, otherwise this message may contain unwanted or
objectionable material. For questions or concerns, please contact the VCCC Help
Desk at vccc@vita.virginia.gov
or
(804)786-3932.
And the follow up email sent by (I assume) VITA:
From: CIO of the Commonwealth[SMTP:CIO@VITA.VIRGINIA.GOV]
Sent:
Wednesday, February 14, 2007 3:43:25 PM
To: VITA
Subject: Spoofed
Message
Auto forwarded by a Rule
Please ignore the message you received earlier. VITA Security and Northrop Grumman technical staff are working to determine the source of this message. We will engage law enforcement to take appropriate disciplinary action against the perpetrator(s) of this offensive message.This was a "spoofed" e-mail. E-mail spoofing is the forgery of an e-mail so that the message appears to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source. This one, of course, did not originate from me. I am sorry for any consternation this nuisance e-mail may have caused.
Lem
