發一封郵件做一道數學題

這網址我是一邊看，一邊笑的垃圾郵件處理方法。真的太有創意了!! 我心裏想着有人收到這系統寄來的題目時的表情，蠻有趣啊!!
可能有些讀者看不懂簡體字，我將它的工作原理轉為繁體字:

工作原理是這樣的，在啟用此功能后：
1. 當一個陌生郵址給我的郵箱寫信時，郵件系統會將其先保存到我的垃圾箱中，然後自動向此陌生郵址回一封信，要求發信方回答一道隨機生成的數學題。
2. 郵件系統在收到對方正確的數學題答案後，會將原郵件從垃圾箱移到我的收件箱內。

很祈望我的朋友或客戶中有人會用這系統。請給我數學題挑戰吧!!!!

順籐摸瓜

我想很少人好像 Bill Ray 一般調查收到的垃圾郵件。因為他的調查，我們才知道英國一間大的電訊公司的「廣告信」地址來源是這樣的:

T-Mobile 找--> Quantum Media 再外判給 --> Mailtrack Media 再判到--> E-Mail Movers (實際寄廣告信的公司，但地址是由) --> Century Communications (用 £20 從這裡買回來)-->a bloke on eBay.

我想 Bill Ray 是根據「個人資料條例」向以上每間公司索取資料才得出這一條「運作鏈」。換了是香港的大公司，向他們查詢從何得知我的電郵地址可以嗎?

帝國反擊戰

主動攻擊 --- 這是 SpammerSkewer 的哲學!!
SpammerSkewer 的作者認為只有耗盡發垃圾郵件的資源才可以使他們停手。所以提議攻擊 Spammer 的網站，在網站的表格內填上你們對垃圾郵件的投訴。這軟件的進一步方法就是用 P2P 的技術，每個參與的 peer互相通知大家新的 spammer 網站和攻擊指令。
Spammer 用 botnets 技術寄垃圾郵件，antispamming 今天也用類似技術反擊。

問題是: SpammerSkewer 的作者選擇不公開自己的身份 (恐怕比 spammer 報復 ??) ，大家憑甚麼相信他派的攻擊指令一定是 spammer 網站呢?? 再者這類攻擊是否合法還要法律界人仕澄清。

造市

一直很奇怪為何關於股票的垃圾郵件為何特別多的 (據統計，垃圾郵件中有 15% 是關於股票的)。此類郵件一般會推薦一或幾隻所謂「仙股」，用 pump and dump (aka pump'n'dump) spam email 方式發送出去，今日看到一篇文章講此類 spam email 對股價變化的分析先知道「造市」是那麼容易，利潤也不錯。這也解釋為何這類垃圾郵件的發送技術是最新和最有創意的。

到期啦

由新聞得知 google.de 忘記了 domain name 續期，昨天給人取走!!
我也試過忘記替客戶續期，差點給人取去。那一次給客人駡到不似人形.....
從此之後，我在 Google Calendar 記下所有有關客戶的到期日，再加 email, SMS reminder!!


各位記得要續期呀 XDDDD

發放垃圾郵件坐 101 年監??

這是美國第一宗針對發放垃圾郵件的案件:
Source

LA-area man first in nation convicted under anti-spam law

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - A man faces a sentence of up to 101 years in federal prison after being the first person in the U.S. convicted under a federal anti-spam law, authorities said.

Jeffrey Brett Goodin, 45, of Azusa, was found guilty Friday of running a "phishing" scheme that tricked people into believing they were giving personal information to a legitimate business. Prosecutors said Goodin then used the information to go on a spending spree.

Goodin is the first person in the nation convicted under the 2003 CAN-SPAM Act, the U.S. attorney's office said. The law forbids e-mail marketers from sending false or misleading messages and requires them to provide recipients with a way to opt out of receiving future mailings.

During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Goodin used several compromised Internet accounts to send e-mails to America Online users. The e-mails appeared to be from the company's billing department and told customers to update their billing information or lose service.

The e-mails referred people to one of several Web pages controlled by Goodin where they could enter their personal information, prosecutors said.

In addition to the anti-spam conviction, Goodin was convicted of 10 other counts, including wire fraud, misuse of the AOL trademark and attempted witness harassment.

Goodin is scheduled to be sentenced June 11.

我已在 google calender 記下 6月11日這天，就看看到時判多少刑期。

ORDB 結束營業

ORDB 結束營業已經不是新消息了，這是我開始寫這 blog 之前的新聞。但到昨天才感受到它帶來的影響:

昨天一個舊客打比我說收不到電郵。他的 server 已經是兩年前安裝的，當時他堅持要安裝 qmail (這是一個我最不熟悉的 MTA ，我對 qmal 的評語一向都是「安裝容易，管理、除錯麻煩」的東東)。老實說，自此之後我從沒有再安裝過 qmail。
他打電話來時我也考慮過幫不幫他呢? 我心想，收錢都未必解決到問題喎，我對 qmail 的認識只是到了安裝階段，兩年都無問題真的要感恩了。聽他說得那麼緊急，即管上去看看吧。他公司電郵伺服器病徵是:

telnet mail.emailserver.com 25 後的 220 greeting response 要很久才有回應 (要等足足三分鐘!!)。一般來說這一定是 DNS 問題 (nameserver set 錯了)，但為何同一部機的 pop3 就無問題!! 跟了足足一個鐘頭仍然毫無頭緒，正常告訴客人有錢也賺不到，準備離開時忽然醒覺這個 qmail 是有做 MTA level 的 DNSBL (RBL) blocking 的，立即找找它用的 RBL ---- 其中一個是 relay.ordb.org!!
我的天啊，難道真的是這一個。刪除了這一個 RBL，restart qmail。Bingo!!! 一切回復正常。
我回來後再看看資料，ordb 的 server 應該是 06年12月31日 shutdown 了，但為何我的客戶說他到前天才有問題呢?? 難道 31日後仍然運作了一段時間??
還有的是立即看看我其他客戶的電郵 server 有沒有相同問題..........

自動登記科林的軟件

很厲害，15分鐘就可以幫你登記千多個科林，自動貼文，它的 feature list 還說可以看穿 CAPTCHA (圖片驗證) ，自動 Activation by email 。好笑在它在網頁說 spamming forum 是「不被禁止」的。各位看官，US$450 而已，不妨買個回來玩玩。

或者看看它的 demo。

The Top 10 Ways to Eliminate Spam from Your Inbox

Source: The Top 10 Ways to Eliminate Spam from Your Inbox
雖然都是一些老掉牙的忠告，但也值得記下來:

1. Use Spam Filters.
2. Eliminate Viruses.
3. Keep Your Email Account Safe.
4. Test Who Is Spamming You.
5. Know What To Do When You See Spam In Your Inbox.
6. Opt-Out Letters.
7. Pick The Right Email Address.
8. Tailor Your Surfing To Minimize Viruses and Spam.
9. Report Violators.
10. Get Revenge

The Google blacklist for Phishing Sites

sb.google.com/safebrowsing/update?version=goog-black-url:1:-1

裝了 Google toolbar for Firefox 或 Firefox 2 就會自動用到。

Spamhaus PBL

Spamhuas 新推出的 DNSBL

The Policy Block List

The Spamhaus PBL is a DNSBL database of end-user IP address ranges which should not be delivering unauthenticated SMTP email to any Internet mail server except those provided for specifically by an ISP for that customer's use. The PBL helps networks enforce their Acceptable Use Policy for dynamic and non-MTA customer IP ranges.

PBL IP address ranges are added and maintained by each network participating in the PBL project, working in conjunction with the Spamhaus PBL team, to help apply their outbound email policies. Additional IP address ranges may be added and maintained by the Spamhaus PBL Team, particularly for networks which are not participating themselves, and where spam, rDNS and server patterns
are consistent with end-user IP space which typically contain high concentrations of "botnet zombies", a major source of spam.

A list of participating networks will be available soon. Spamhaus encourages all dialup, DSL and cable modem providers to participate and submit their own PBL ranges.

這是 ISP 自動參與的 DNSBL，ISP 指定那些 ip range 不是用她們指定的 SMTP server 寄信，而真接 email direct to MX.
但我的問題是: 為何這些 ISP 不 block 了 outgoing port 25，正如香港的ISP Netvigator那般，根本她們的用戶就不能 direct to mx!!

美國國防部限制 HTML email

Source: http://www.fcw.com/article97178-12-22-06-Web

DOD bars use of HTML e-mail, Outlook Web Access

BY Bob Brewin
Published on Dec. 22, 2006

Due to an increased network threat condition, the Defense Department is blocking all HTML-based e-mail messages and has banned the use of Outlook Web Access e-mail applications, according to a spokesman for the Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations.



Text based 的電郵 antispam 處理當然是容易得多!!! 用戶也會安全得多。

但這好像回復了當年用 mutt 的年代，真懷舊。

十一月份的垃圾郵件比上月增加了 35%

來源: Infomation Week

Spam volume soared another 35% in November, an e-mail security vendor said Thursday, and the month saw spam tactics that reduced the efficiency of traditional anti-spam filters.

"There's been a huge increase in spam volume," says David Mayer, a product manager at IronPort Systems, "from 31 billion spams a day on average in October 2005 to 63 billion in October 2006. But in November, we saw two surges that averaged 85 billion messages a day, one from Nov. 13 to 22, the other from Nov. 26 to 28.

一年之內已經多了一倍!!! 其實除了全世界改變 SMTP 的模式，否則垃圾郵件的問題只會越來越嚴重。