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DEPARTMENTAL MATTERS INDIAN RIVER COUNTY INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET TO: Members of the Board of County Commissioners DATE: July 12, 2016 SUBJECT: EMAIL ADDRESSES AND CONTACT INFORMATION PUBLISHED ON COUNTY WEBSITE FROM: Michael Smykowski PAS J Director,Management& Budget BACKGROUND At the BCC meeting of June 14, 2016, Commissioner Zorc requested and received board consensus to have staff explore the possibility of publishing County staff email addresses on the County Website. STAFF ASSESSMENT It has been the normal practice of the Computer Service Division to avoid publishing email addresses on the County website in an effort to avoid increased spam levels on the County email network. Spammers deploy programs called email harvesters that scour the internet in search of email addresses to either spam or add to lists to sell to spammers. Hackers also send links in what look to be legitimate emails that if clicked could introduce Trojan viruses and other malicious viruses into the internal County computer neNvork. There are several methods to mask published email addresses on websites using code or images but as with any computer security, it is difficult to stay ahead of attackers and spammers as they develop new technologies to infiltrate networks. Security is often a reactionary measure after the vulnerability has already been exploited by a new technology. The County currently publishes masked email addresses (images) for the County Commissioners and Administration Department. The County also publishes a staff phone directory at the top of each webpage and also department-level phone directories at each department webpage. Certain departments, namely Utilities and Emergency Services have specifically requested limiting staff contact information, including phone numbers, to ensure the routing of customers through the proper customer service channels. 266