Antispam confab looks beyond filters

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shared data is the answer: Spam is a distributed problem (very many sources), and so needs a distributed solution. I see that the problem is that there is no way to establish the reputation of the sender until too late. As mail administrators and users, we need to share information with eachother. We need to make many redundant lines of information sharing, so that they cannot be subject to attack by either external (hackers) or internal (big business) agents. We need many blacklists, many checksum clearinghouses, many reputation sources, so that sender reputation can be quickly established and changed in real time. These sources can then be collated locally and used to inform our local mail filters. These filters must be applied at the SMTP level to refuse or delay delivery.

If you run a mail server, then do your part, share your anti-spam data with a closed circle of trusted colleagues, and encourage them to do the same. Set up a blacklist server, set up a dcc server, etc. Spam can be beaten in the same way as a good immune system of every organism. Every cell protects itself, and alerts it's neighbour.

Once the email system becomes inpenatrable to con-men, they will give up and find new victims elsewhere. We cannot expect to end spam, just as we cannot expect to end viruses or mold spores, however we can naturally develop the email system to fight off these invaders successfully.

Chris Fortune
http://spamEater.com/; Posted by: cfortune Posted on: 03/29/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use