[Tfug] Comcast to start blocking port 25?

[Sam Hart]

Okay, gonna vent a bit here. Blocking port 25 isn't the solution to this.

Many of the spam-gateway viri out there these days will find the SMTP 
settings from Outlook and just use them. Often they will have their own 
SMTP server, but fall back on that when it fails.

Since they are likely getting into the machine via Outlook, you know 
Outlook is going to be set up for the COX/Comcast/Whatever SMTP server.

Anyway, as someone who has done so much with anti-spam/viral systems, port 
blocking really bugs me. Of course, for ISPs, there isn't much they can do 
(the fault lies in the OS and it's applications, nuthin they can do 
there). So they're screwed and port blocking is just like sticking their 
head in the sand assuming that will fix the problem.

Now a BETTER solution would be to set up a honeypot intercepting all port 
25 traffic and using it as a seed for some adaptive algorythm for catching 
spam going through the COX/Comcast/Whatever SMTP... But wait! That could 
be blocked by the DMCA (http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/superdmca.html)

Also, there is evidence that Linux boxen send 43% of all Spam 
(http://www.honeyd.org/spam.php).

Sorry for the vent... now I'll go back to being quiet, mild-mannered Sam.

* On 04-06-13, Brad Becker wrote:

> On 11 Jun 2004 at 8:53, Angus Scott-Fleming wrote:
> 
> > This could be a real PITA for many of us.  OTOH some estimates suggest 
> > that most (80%?) of spam is spread through zombie PCs on on broadband 
> > connections.  This could help there.
> 
> That's because 'Comcast is the biggest spammer on the net1.'
> 
> http://news.com.com/Attack+of+Comcast%27s+Internet+zombies/2
> 010-1034_3-5218178.html
> 
> Brad Becker
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> tfug at tfug.org
> https://www.tfug.org/mailman/listinfo/tfug
> 

-- 
Sam Hart
University/Work addr. <hart at physics.arizona.edu>
Personal addr. <sam at samhart.net>
end