CIC hearing reveals PMO Email System was Bugged!

As reported in Times Of India Delhi; Date: Mar 16, 2009; Section: Times, Nation; Page: 7

Virus gripped PMO’s email for 3 months


New Delhi: Email system of the Prime Minister’s Office was under the grip of a computer virus for three months last year forcing officials to replace the software. The technical glitch plagued the email communication system of the PMO, which was based on the Microsoft Outlook Express, from February to April in 2008.

Although the extent of damage was uncertain, the PMO said that most of the emails addressed to it were not received. The problem was detected only

in late April after which the Microsoft Outlook Express email software was discontinued and replaced by — Squirrel mail.

The matter came to light during one of the hearings of the CIC where the PMO submitted that “there was virus problem during the months of Feb-Mar-Apr that was diagnosed only late in April”. The CIC was hearing the plea of one retired Air Commodore Lokesh Batra, who had complained to PMO, through an email, about discrepancies in the Hindi version of the RTI Act. AGENCIES