Dynamic IP log retention = 0?

Fri Mar 13 00:13:02 UTC 2009

> Whether Covad chooses to enforce their AUP against port scanning is a
> business decision up to them. 

Yes, it's all a business decision.  That kind of antisocial thinking is
the sort of thing that has allowed all manner of bad guys to remain
attached to the Internet.

> Again, why worry about things out of your
> control, especially when we are talking about port scanning. 

Yes, why not talk about rapists and drug dealers instead.  They're much
worse.  It's just that this forum ... isn't for that.

> I would think people have more pressing issues, guess not.

While I am all for increasing overall security on the Internet, the
reality is that there will often be devices that are attached that
are found to be vulnerable in new and intriguing ways.  Port scanning
is a primary method for finding these vulnerabilities.  To the extent
that an ISP might proactively port scan its own userbase, that's a good
use and probably a good idea (has tradeoffs), but bad guys finding
holes in random devices so that they can launch multiGbps attacks 
against random destinations is a bad thing.

If your idea of "operations" is to make your router work and collect
your paycheck for another day, then this discussion probably does not
make any sense to you and you probably don't understand the importance
of the issue.

If your idea of "operations" is to ensure the reliable operation and
uphold the performance standards of an IP network, then it should not
be beyond comprehension that allowing miscreants access to the network
is one of many things that can adversely affect operations.  If you
accept that the presence of miscreants on the network is a negative,
it shouldn't be hard to see that complaining about consistent and
persistent port scans from what is probably an identifiable host is
one way to make an impact.

... JG
-- 
Joe Greco - sol.net Network Services - Milwaukee, WI - http://www.sol.net
"We call it the 'one bite at the apple' rule. Give me one chance [and] then I
won't contact you again." - Direct Marketing Ass'n position on e-mail spam(CNN)
With 24 million small businesses in the US alone, that's way too many apples.