USB booting :: Stealth USB mail server

Allow me to add a few brief points...

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What I just read through is how righteously arrogance put out a sound technical question; I find it ugly... yttrium had an interesting technical challenge; did he get an answer? Not even a hint; he got smoked instead. Green & SaidinUnleashed seem to think they own the truth. Sound advice is always welcome, but lecturing on a situation one knows only from speculation like it was the gospels looks to me very much like a tumbleweed service... you know, Dodge City, midday shootouts, common folk packing, tumbleweed blowing in?

You, Mr. Coward, have been drinking a bit too much of Doc Holiday's juice,
or smokin too much crack...

The "interesting technical challenge" you refer to was to..
1. infiltrate a company network, unbeknownst to IP/staff,
   and "hide" hardware which will handle sensitive company info and email.
2. jeopardize the security of this network, and risk failure or intrusion
   by third parties due to lack of protocol and procedure (i.e. wireless)
3. Taking company owned property and resources clearly managed by a
   team of professionals, and using them for a revolutionary cause.

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{ The user base should not accept poor service and design from software, hardware and configuration.} { our IT department does not seem to be able to provide multi-platform management now.}

yttrium,
If you don't like the way the company that has employed you runs their IT,
then leave..
You are obviously not familiar with protocols or hardware in an IT environment.
( gotta admit, I got a good laugh out of your standalone USBKey mailserver! )

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so that we can enter in new employees, and put them in groups so that someone can email 'marketing@company.com' and not have everyone in 'engineering@company.com' get stuff intended to go only to marketing.

To create the "groups" and email forwarders you seek, the IT department
could easily set this up in a matter of minutes with their mailserver.
I do it frequently for several companies.
Obviously , they don't WANT to..
Perhaps their idea of proper management and policy enforcement is to
have all of their email services centralized..

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I have suggested (tactfully) to our IT staff that maybe it would be a good idea to set up company-wide centrally managed email lists.

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They kindly forwarded a full MS-Outlook configuration file containing all of the company's contact information.

Seems that they have one, and forwarded it to every user...

Perhaps you could setup, using only a few computers OF YOUR OWN,
a small demonstration of what you have in mind, how it would work, etc. ,
that you could share with your IT staff.  Then let THEM decide..

Taking matters into your own hands is not the answer.
SaidinUnleashed and Green have both stated this clearly to you.

What would you think, if you found out that an employee of a company,
who was "trying to be innovative" caused the failure or loss of security
to a network that handled your friends or relatives medical records,
while they were in critical care? Or your credit card information?
Maybe your driving or criminal records? Bank Statements?

Companies have good reasons to keep a tight rein on their IT .
IT has good reasons to keep a handle on their network usage .
IT makes the rules.  If you don't like it , get your OWN somewhere else.

I feel that SaidinUnleashed and green HAVE given you good advice,
contrary to what Mr. Coward has posted.  Work WITH your IT,
and should they choose to continue without your innovation, then so be it.

Corporate IT is not the place to wear your "Mr. Fixit" hat.  
Do that at home, on your own network, and with your own computers,
then tweak it, package it, and sell the hell out of it.

73
ke4nt