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Symantec spills email addresses of list subscribers

Tut, tut

Updated Subscribers to a Symantec digest have alerted us after receiving an administrative message that divulged user email details.

Symantec sent out a message on Monday seeking to delete people from the list, which provided the addresses of 74 subscribers to its monthly Security Response newsletter.

Two Register readers have copied us into their email responses to the hapless Symantec staffer who sent the message (no, we're not naming him).

Symantec has yet to get back to us (or as far as we know its subscribers) for comment for this oversight, a small but, considering who's involved, embarrassing mistake to make.

Last May, Computer Associates made a similar faux pas which resulted in 60,000 subscribers to its anti-virus alert email list receiving a spam message. ®

Update

As it turns out, Symantec did send a message apologising for its slip up a few hours after the offending email was fired off.

Symantec has been in touch to say that the original message was an accident, caused by human error. It has promised to review its procedures to make sure that there is no repeat of the incident.

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