An update. The ITN News at Ten program yesterday (24/11) mentioned that the email was sent anonymously, but did not mention the Internet. It also said that the Independent journalist had obtained a temporary job at BT for two months during the summer. The journalist, Steven Fleming, was interviewed. He had taken the job at BT after receiving the anonymous email and he found that confidential CSS passwords were easy to obtain. ITN also said that the Independent newspaper had received hundreds of phone calls from BT employees concerned about CSS security. The previous BBC news program had made quite a play that the Internet had been used, complete with screen shots of the Independent's terminals. The BT dial-up Newsline service, intended for employees but available to anyone who calls an 800 number, said that there is no evidence that the CSS system had been hacked or that confidential customer information had been passed over the Internet. It also warned employees that they face instant dismissal for breaching commercial confidence. All employees of telecommunications companies in this country are also covered by the Official Secrets Act even though they are not working for a government department. It is unlikely that Steven Fleming would not have known this. Quite why the Independent had thought that this rather sad story was important enough to be their front page headline is a mystery. The threat of heavy-footed British security operatives descending upon remailer operators has probably passed.