Repeated Blacklisting / IP reputation

Thu Sep 10 14:26:57 UTC 2009

On Thu, 10 Sep 2009, Mark Andrews wrote:

> What a load of rubbish.  How is ARIN or any RIR/LIR supposed to
> know the intent of use?

  Why don't we just blacklist everything and only whitelist those we know
  are good?

  Because the cost of determining who is good and who is not has a great
  cost.  If you buy an IP block, regardless of your intent, that IP block
  should not have the ill-will of the previous owner passed on with it.  If
  the previous owner sucked, the new owner should have the chance to use
  that IP block without restriction until they prove that they suck, at
  which point it will be blocked again.  That system seems to work well
  enough: blacklist blocks when they start do be evil, according to your own
  (you being the neteng in charge) definition of evil.

  ARIN needs to be impartial.  If they are going to sell the block, they
  should do their best to make a coordinated effort to make sure the block
  is as unencumbered as possible.  I get that there is a sense that ARIN
  needs to do more due dilligence to determine if the receiving party is
  worthy of that block, but I'm not aware of the process, and from the
  grumblings it doesn't seem like fun.

> Note we all could start using IPv6 and avoid this problem altogether.

  Because as we know IPv6 space is inexhaustable.  Just like IPv4 was when
  it began its life. ;-)

  That won't avoid the problem, it will simply put the problem off until it
  rears its head again.  I'm sure that IPv6 space will be more easily gotten
  until problems arise, and in a few years (maybe decades, we can put this
  problem on our children's shoulders), we'll be back where we are now --
  getting recycled IP space that is blocked or encumbered due to bad
  previous owners.

Beckman
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Peter Beckman                                                  Internet Guy
beckman at angryox.com                                 http://www.angryox.com/
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