Lazy network operators

Wed Apr 14 03:11:00 UTC 2004

In message <p06020409bca2403fda31@[192.168.1.101]>, John Curran writes:
>>At 8:36 PM -0400 4/13/04, Steven M. Bellovin wrote:
>>
>>Now assume that someone in some strange and wondrous part of the world 
>>has a similar need.  Are they authorized?  According to whom?
>
>Steve, you're authorized if you say you are and agree to accept responsibility
>.
>Most corporations would readily provide the addresses of their mail servers; 
>anyone on DSL or cable connection could do the same.  But by changing the 
>default behavior to block port 25 until requested, you could readily address t
>he
>spam problem.   It would take some work on the part of operator community
>(hence the subject), and doesn't fit in the world wide commune perspective
>of networking, but it would make the Internet far more useful for everyone.
>

The spammers are already creating throw-away domains; they'd do the 
same with mail sender authorizations.  "I am Spam, Spam I am" -- and 
send their turds and run.

		--Steve Bellovin, http://www.research.att.com/~smb