Re: RBL-type BGP service for known rogue networks?

[woods () weird com (Greg A. Woods)]

[ On Sunday, July 9, 2000 at 20:51:23 (-0400), Shawn McMahon wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: RBL-type BGP service for known rogue networks?
>
> Unfortunately, it allows for contradictions in this discussion.

No, it doesn't, at least not so long as everyone understands the
differences in different policy requirements.

I happen to have several separate and distinct policy requirements for
my SMTP server(s):

        - don't ever accept e-mail from any known open relay or any
          network block which has known open relays but won't allow
          finer testing.

        - don't ever accept e-mail from any known dial-up address.

        - don't ever accept e-mail from any known spammer.

        - don't ever allow a remote SMTP server to forge its hostname.

        - don't ever allow the sender address domain to be invalid.

> At least one pro-ORBS person has stated that individuals should make direct
> SMTP connections instead of using their provider's server, and they could thus
> avoid being subject to ORBS testing of their provider.
>
> Oh, but sorry; if I do that, I can't send Greg A. Woods email, because his system
> doesn't recognize the value in my system having the name "oa.eiv.com" all the
> time, instead of me hacking together sed scripts to change my sendmail config
> to read something like "user1432.fl.sprint-hsd.net" every time I get a new
> dynamic IP.

You've confused my policy requirements.  Please see above.

> If I switch to using my provider's SMTP server, now I have a security issue
> because it's going through a server I don't control and which could conceivably
> screw up and get itself ORBS-listed at any moment, completely outside my control.

Use PGP and encrypt your e-mail if you want security and control.

Either that or buy yourself a real Internet connection with a static
address and run your own *real* SMTP server.

-- 
                                                        Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098      VE3TCP      <gwoods () acm org>      <robohack!woods>
Planix, Inc. <woods () planix com>; Secrets of the Weird <woods () weird com>