Palimpsest

June 22, 2006

From: Tracey Root, CEO, IP trackers and IT forensics Ltd.

Dear Gilbert, it was really good to hear from you yesterday despite it being so long. And what an interesting problem you gave us. Luckily for you, and as I explained on the phone, we've recently taken on a new member of staff - an IT forensics expert - he fills out the team nicely and his IP skills are without peer. OK so he has done a lot of hacking on his own but that, as it turns out is very fortunate for all of us. Kevin is desperately short of social skills but I'm pleased to report that he's fixed your detective character's wagon good and all and you don't actually have to meet him even though he did say that Crete was somewhere he had never been (I ignored him and he soon shut up).

He said that the detective guy was quite smart and had been using an IP cloaking site to hide where he was coming form when he defaced your notebook site but that behind that he is or was using a static IP address connexion. Fortunately for you the IP anonymizer that he has been using was hosted on a Windows server and he, Kevin, was able to lay what he called a "sticky trap" there so that when he, DD, came back (a clever move of yours getting that pal of yours to provoke him) our Kev could unravel where he was (absolute and naked IP address)and from that access all of the transactions/message pairs that had passed between them. Well, to cut a long story, etc. we have blocked his I address and all of the range of IP addresses that his ISP uses from accessing any of you r sites. In short we've shut his routes into anything to do with you.

Kevin also worked out a pattern to the false IDs that he, DD, has been using and has pre-emptively blocked all IDs that conform to the model he was using. Kev reckons it'll take him a month to work out what has happened and if, and only, if he's a lot cleverer than he has so far demonstrated It'll take him another two to work out how to get around the barriers that Kev has erected. RESULT!

You can post whatever you like on any of the sites you listed for us with impunity but that the new notebook location (http://trellis.wordpress.com/) is particularly well guarded and commenting is locked off over there. Kev says if you have anything particularly sensitive then that's the place to put it. I'd trust Kevin's advice if I were you Gil. He knows his internet onions does Kev - he's an asset.

I hope that this is all in order and satisfies your concerns. No charge, of course, you're family darling and we don't take money from family.

Give our love to Abby

love and kisses

Trace

PS we'll be flying in on the 19th - look forward to our times with you.

PPS "we" does not include Kevin (I do not think he is allowed a passport anymore - i.e. since his last stretch) This transmission is confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and then delete this e-mail. The integrity and security of this transmission cannot be guaranteed. If verification is required please request a hard-copy. The company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus that may be enclosed in this transmission.