Spammer Threatens Anti-Spam Group

[ronjor]

-{ Quote: "A company that's promoted an anti-spam "Do Not Intrude Registry" and essentially spammed spammers said Monday that many of its members have received threatening e-mails from a major junk mailer." }-
Story (http://www.techweb.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=187002643)

[herbalist]

Normally I would think that was an empty threat by the spammer, but I can't get to Blue Security either. This is the correct link, isn't it?
http://www.bluesecurity.com/
Under attack?

[ronjor]

See this. (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6068607.html)

[herbalist]

Definitely explains it. Thanks.

[nicM]

In the meantime I've seen their forum is hosted on Castlecops :

http://castlecops.com/f230-Blue_Security.html


nicM

[ronjor]

I'm the Blue Security Spammer

-{ Quote: "An anonymous spammer took credit on Friday for taking part in a campaign by hundreds of junk e-mailers to disable the websites of antispam firm Blue Security and affiliated internet companies." }-
Story (http://www.wired.com/news/technology/security/0,70831-0.html?)

[Paranoid2000]

Timeline of PharmaMaster Attacks on www.bluesecurity.com (http://www.bluesecurity.com/announcements/pm_attack_timeline.asp)

[ronjor]

Under Attack, Spam Fighter Folds

-{ Quote: "A startup whose aggressive antispam measures drew a blistering counterattack from spammers two weeks ago that brought down the company's servers along with a wide swath of the internet is shuttering its program that targets junk e-mailers.

In an interview with Wired News, Blue Security CEO Eran Reshef said the Israel-based company was closing its service Wednesday since he did not want to be responsible for an ever-escalating war that could bring down internet service providers and websites around the world and subject its users to denial-of-service attacks from a well-organized group in control of a massive army of computer drones" }-
Story (http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70913-0.html?)

[ronjor]

-{ Quote: "I had a chat with Blue Security's CEO Eran Reshef shortly after the attack, and he shared with me some records of his online conversations with two spam sponsors, individuals in the business who handle everything from keeping the online pharmacy and other spam product Web sites running, to hiring and paying the people who do the actual spamming. Reshef said attacks from the company's software had convinced six out of the top 10 sponsors to scrub their spam e-mail lists to remove the addresses of people who use Blue Security's software." }-
Brian Krebs (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/05/legal_antispam_vigilante_compa.html)

[ronjor]

Blue Security Kicked While It's Down
-{ Quote: "Hours after anti-spam company Blue Security pulled the plug on its spam-fighting Blue Frog software and service, the spammers whose attack caused the company to wave the white flag have escalated their assault, knocking Blue Security's farewell message and thousands more Web sites offline." }-
Brian Krebs (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/05/blue_security_surrenders_but_s.html)

[TonyW]

I'm wary of methods like that of Blue Security to deal with spam. Lycos' own attempts at dealing with unsolicited email failed too. The best method is your own filtering techniques and not vigilante-style bombardment of websites.

[Paranoid2000]

-{ Quote: "I'm wary of methods like that of Blue Security to deal with spam. Lycos' own attempts at dealing with unsolicited email failed too. The best method is your own filtering techniques and not vigilante-style bombardment of websites." }-Filtering does not stop spammers from flooding networks, it does not stop them bringing mailservers down with dictionary/brute force attacks and it does not stop them from financing botnets and malware writers. Finally, filtering is never 100% - you will always get spam slipping through or legitimate mail being blocked. The latest tactic of using misdirected bounces (sending spam with a forged but valid sender address so that any bounces go to a third party) makes filtering extremely difficult - if you filter out spam bounces, then you also risk discarding important error messages (e.g. if you misspelt someone's email address).

The only way that spam will be stopped is by making it unprofitable. Educating people to never buy products or services marketed by spam is one key method - but there are enough fools out there who will ignore such advice anyway, so increasing spammers' costs (by using up their website bandwidth or entering false details on their website forms) is the only effective method of dealing with hardcore spammers.

Blue Security did not even seek to do this, but just to post unsubscribe requests (by placing them on web forms if no other method was available). The fact that they came under such attack should be an indication of the lawless state of the Internet and the contempt that spammers have for individuals. Vigilante justice has its problems, but anarchy is far worse.

Spam is war and your email is the battleground. Those who choose to stand aside and do nothing should be prepared at some point to lose it.

[herbalist]

If a way could be found to decentralize an app like theirs so that there was no central point to attack, it would be much harder to take down. What about a version that's more like Shareaza, a large number of smaller, constantly changing hubs?
It seems the spammers only understand one language and this attack proves they got the message. We need to turn up the volume.
Rick

[herbalist]

This looks promising.
http://castlecops.com/t156112-An_Open_Source_Blue_Frog_We_are_not_giving_up_the_fight.html

[Longboard]

Hope springs eternal.

[whistl3r]

I see no justice in spamming a spammer. This company is just as liable as the spammer is.


I could name names from a ISP I use to work for, some technicians (now supervisor's / managers) submitted customer emails to spam lists, just because the customer aggrivated them. I confronted management about it, but they actively refused these individuals would ever do it, sad so sad. In fact, I was standing right there when they did it and they even admitted to committing these offending acts in/outside the office. Kind of sad how management plays it's games, but when their in trouble they will lie through their teath.

I'll be glad to forewarn you; say the least its within the Minnesota region.