IT Baseline Protection Manual - The Information Warfare Site

Threats Catalogue Deliberate Acts Remarks
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T 4.15 Fax transmission errors
During fax transmission, faults can occur either on the transmission path or on
any of the terminal devices involved. As a result, it is possible for fax
transmissions to be incomplete, illegible or to fail to reach their intended
recipients. Decisions which depend on this information could be
inappropriate, resulting in loss or damage.
There is also a danger that the fax could be sent to the wrong recipient. This
could be due to faulty switching in the public telecommunications network. It
is also possible on conventional fax machines for the wrong call number to be
dialled or for the shortcut destination keys to be incorrectly programmed.
When a fax server is used, it is possible for a recipient's call number to be
incorrectly input or for an incorrect version of it to be held in the address
book. As a result, confidential information could be disclosed to unauthorised
parties. The amount of damage this could cause depends on the confidentiality
of the information. Moreover, the originator of the fax will incorrectly assume
that the fax message has been transmitted successfully to the intended
addressee. The resulting time delay could prove detrimental.
Example:
A well-known German company lost a major order because the offer was
accidentally sent to the wrong recipient.
Note:
Threats T 4.16 Fax transmission errors and T 4.17 Technical defects on fax
machines have been amalgamated in threat T 4.15 Fax transmission errors.
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IT-Baseline Protection Manual: Oktober 2000
Malfunctions on the
transmission path
Delivery to the wrong
recipient