Re: Now the idiots at ORBS are probing random dial-ups

[Leo Bicknell <bicknell () ufp org>]

On Tue, Aug 22, 2000 at 04:50:05PM -0400, Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu wrote:
> Of the 5 mail-abuse.org hosts, 2 were in ORBS as well, and of the 122
> ORBS hosts, only 13 were in relays.mail-abuse.org as well.
>
> It's nice to be able to say "yes, MAPS does 43 different hand-checks to
> make sure that we don't list a site by accident".  However, if it only
> lists 10% of the sites that you're being spammed from, it's not a useful
> tool to make any meaningful dent.  And yes, I *could* sit here all day
> and for each of the 100 or so extra pieces of bounced mail I'd get, nominate
> it for MAPS - but *I* only see the ones that double-bounce.

        I think the real thing to remember is that MAPS can
put spammers out of business in a way ORBS can't.  Blocking
open relays is a futile effort, hosts are added at faster and
faster rates, with less knowledgeable "admins" every day.  Even
with fully automated probing a-la ORBS, they will never catch 
up.

        Blocking the e-mail isn't going to work, they will find
ways to anonymously send spam for years to come.  The right thing
to do is block the web site that they direct you to in the spam,
where they make money.  The RBL, at least for those with the BGP
version, can do just that.  If people can't get to the spammers
web site and enter their credit card number to buy ginsu knives,
or view the hotest XXX action on the net, the spammer will go out
of business, and the spam will be no more.

-- 
Leo Bicknell - bicknell () ufp org
Systems Engineer - Internetworking Engineer - CCIE 3440
Read TMBG List - tmbg-list-request () tmbg org, www.tmbg.org