Manchester Bishop’s E-mail Server Infected by Virus

A virus on the computer system of Manchester Diocese (UK) has deprived the Bishop of Middleton from mails for almost one week. The Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, Bishop, Diocese of Manchester was not able to send or receive any mail for around 10 days.

Moreover, an audit of 6,000 pieces of communication sent by the Bishop of Manchester in the last 10 months reveals that a large number of emails sent by the Bishop are either deleted while sending or not delivered by the system. Further, several mails sent to the Bishop have not been received.

The head offices of Manchester Diocese remained cut off from mails since March 3, 2009 after an infection on its server by a virus and massive volume of spam. In the 1st week of March 2009 after several complaints of missing e-mails and many breakthroughs in services, the Diocese decided to change its IT service provider.

According to the new IT officials assigned with the task, a computer virus had infected systems. Since March 3, 2009, e- mails forwarded to the head offices of Manchester Diocese, including the Bishops of Middleton and Bolton and Archdeacons, have not reached inboxes. Besides, the e-mails send from these offices could not be delivered.

In addition, the Diocese gets one million spam mails every year with many virus attacks. The fact that a virus has entered and the impact it had on church's systems vindicates the decision to move IT provision of Church.

The problem is especially embarrassing as Mr. McCulloch act as the CoE's communications spokesman. Officials who work for CoE detected the virus. While they were removing it from the system, they found that the virus had infected systems.

A spokesman for the Bishop claims that the new IT providers are assigned with the task of setting up an IT system on priority for Archdeacons, Bishops and the central administration. The spokesman also said that if e-mails forwarded to the Church and reply could not made within three days, then users should give their message through phone.

Related article: Manchester Mayor's Hacked Account Delivered 650, 000 Spam E-mails

» SPAMfighter News - 3/23/2009