S 2.120 Configuration of a mail centre

Initiation responsibility: Head of IT Section, IT Security Management

Implementation responsibility: Administrators

To allow smooth operation of the e-mail service, a postmaster must be appointed to fulfil the following responsibilities:

• Availability of mail services on a local level

• Maintenance of address tables

• Checking external communications links for proper functionality

• Providing assistance in solving mail-related problems experienced by end-users as well as the operators of gateway and relay services.

All e-mails which did not reach their destination and all related error messages must be reported to the postmaster, who must then try to remedy the faults. E-mail which does not reach the intended recipients after a specified period has elapsed must be returned to the sender together with a corresponding error description.

Furthermore, depending on the size and structure of the organisation involved, one or more persons should be put in charge of maintaining the available communications services. In addition to server operations involving, for example, the mail, news and FTP servers, users' communications clients also need to be maintained.

All persons in charge (or their stand-ins) should remain constantly accessible by telephone to users.

Additional controls:

• Who is the responsible postmaster?

• Where are incorrectly addressed e-mails collected?