Operation Ghost Click

Tue May 1 20:56:49 UTC 2012

On 01/05/12 12:51 PM, Leo Bicknell wrote:
> In a message written on Tue, May 01, 2012 at 07:41:35PM +0000, Livingood, Jason wrote:
>> All of this above! Plus, the remediation tools to clean up an infection are insufficient to the task right now. Better tools are needed. (See also http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6561#section-5.4)
> Hey Jason, I'm going to put you on the spot with a crazy idea.
>
> Many customers of the major internet providers also have other
> services from them, like TV and Phone.  Perhaps expanding the notice
> to those areas would be useful?  Turn on your cable box and get a
> notice, or pick up the phone and get a notice?
>
> It might really help in cases where one member of the family (e.g.
> the children) are doing something bad that the bill payer (e.g. mom
> and dad) doesn't know about.  Hit them on a medium they know more
> about.

Upthread Jason posted:

> At Comcast we have done the following:
> - Sent emails
> - Send postal mail
> - Left voicemail
> - Used automated outbound calling
> - Used increasingly persistent web browser notifications

Notice item #2 - postal mail - very unlikely the kids are checking the 
postal mail daily and removing notices from the ISP to keep them from 
Mom and Dad.

For all those who are using automated methods to contact their 
customers, if you have a cell phone number for the customer also try 
sending text to the phone.  I find a significant number of people today:

A)  Have a cell phone but no other phone;
B)  Do not use voicemail on their cell phone.  The VM box may be full, 
may not be setup, may be setup but they never (or rarely) check VM;
C)  Rarely check email!

For this group, text is the way to go.  I have left repeated VMs which 
are not answered, but send one text and get a reply back within 
minutes.  The younger the cell phone user, the more likely they are in 
this group but I also have friends (including one who has worked 
extensively in the ISP industry) who are in their 40s and older who are 
taking up this habit.

jc