Comments on: Spam is now 83% of all e-mail http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/ tech, science, news and social issues for geeks Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:00:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Darton Williams http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-16010 Darton Williams Sun, 23 Sep 2007 06:51:36 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-16010 As a mail server admin for thousands of domains, I see the effects of the spam deluge firsthand. I and many others in the industry view this as largely a problem of conformance with the existing standards. Let's face it, the Internet itself is patches on top of Band-Aids, but if we could truly count on <i>legitimate</i> mail servers following all the protocols and taking proper precautions (reverse DNS, full and consistent implementation of the relevant RFCs, authenticated SMTP), we could assume anyone not following these rules is a spammer or spam zombie. Also, initiatives such as <a href="http://www.openspf.org/" rel="nofollow">SPF</a> go a long way toward addressing these problems. Again, though, it depends on people following these standards. As a mail server admin for thousands of domains, I see the effects of the spam deluge firsthand. I and many others in the industry view this as largely a problem of conformance with the existing standards.

Let’s face it, the Internet itself is patches on top of Band-Aids, but if we could truly count on legitimate mail servers following all the protocols and taking proper precautions (reverse DNS, full and consistent implementation of the relevant RFCs, authenticated SMTP), we could assume anyone not following these rules is a spammer or spam zombie.

Also, initiatives such as SPF go a long way toward addressing these problems. Again, though, it depends on people following these standards.

]]> By: imjuk http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-14613 imjuk Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:40:03 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-14613 I wish it weren't so but most of my email these days tells me I'm bald and need viagra (or equivalent). Well at least they got it half right I suppose. For Blog spam I've had to install askimet to keep comments down to manageable levels. I wish it weren’t so but most of my email these days tells me I’m bald and need viagra (or equivalent). Well at least they got it half right I suppose.

For Blog spam I’ve had to install askimet to keep comments down to manageable levels.

]]> By: Kiltak http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-14567 Kiltak Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:48:50 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-14567 Hello Nathaniel, Yes, I understand your point, but what do you think of all those new "beta" protocols (or add-ons to the current SMTP protocol) that implement trust relationship between mail servers? Unfortunately, for these new implementations to work, organizations would need to stop accepting traffic from non-trusted sources, making the whole business of switching to a new mail transfer mechanism a real nightmare. But wouldn't this solve the problem...in part at least? So where does that leaves us now? Hello Nathaniel,

Yes, I understand your point, but what do you think of all those new “beta” protocols (or add-ons to the current SMTP protocol) that implement trust relationship between mail servers?

Unfortunately, for these new implementations to work, organizations would need to stop accepting traffic from non-trusted sources, making the whole business of switching to a new mail transfer mechanism a real nightmare. But wouldn’t this solve the problem…in part at least?

So where does that leaves us now?

]]> By: Nathaniel Borenstein http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-14551 Nathaniel Borenstein Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:22:05 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-14551 Replacing SMTP won't help at all. Spam will afflict any communication mechanism that allows unsolicited communication. That's why there's also IM Spam, VOIP spam, blog spam, wiki spam, etc. Or, to put it another way, nobody has yet figured out how to redesign SMTP so as not to permit spam. If you doubt it, I would point you at the copious records of the IETF/IRTF discussions on the subject. Replacing SMTP won’t help at all. Spam will afflict any communication mechanism that allows unsolicited communication. That’s why there’s also IM Spam, VOIP spam, blog spam, wiki spam, etc.

Or, to put it another way, nobody has yet figured out how to redesign SMTP so as not to permit spam. If you doubt it, I would point you at the copious records of the IETF/IRTF discussions on the subject.

]]> By: Mackenzie http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-14537 Mackenzie Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:11:15 +0000 http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/09/10/spam-is-now-83-of-all-e-mail/#comment-14537 How many of those spams are from a single spam company (or whatever) sending out thousands (millions?) of emails, and how many are coming from compromised boxes on botnets? Pretty much all my Windows-usage is in the form of "your anti-malware software is badly outdated, and for the sake of my inbox, I am going to install up-to-date, free AV, anti-spyware, etc." How many of those spams are from a single spam company (or whatever) sending out thousands (millions?) of emails, and how many are coming from compromised boxes on botnets? Pretty much all my Windows-usage is in the form of “your anti-malware software is badly outdated, and for the sake of my inbox, I am going to install up-to-date, free AV, anti-spyware, etc.”

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