Posted by
michael
on from the unplug-the-ethernet-for-best-results dept.
Dru writes "Here's an article talking about the details
of implementing a network level spam defense
with Qmail. It also talks a little about a new site called
Trustic
which uses a trust system (like Advogato) for
nominating spammer/hostile IP's."
There are many problems with using RBLs to block connections. A very good description can be found here: I've found SpamAssassin a fairly good, rather than block messages from RBLs it analysis message content, adds points to messages in RBLs and checks known Spam databases such as Razor and Pyzor. Rules matches are given a score, and messages with a total aggregate score are tagged in the message headers, allowing users to filter these if they want to. A main advantage of this method is that no single rule can flag a message as spam, hence legitimate mail sourcing from the badly configured mail relay has a chance of getting through, and in my mind it's probably a particularly bad idea to block any email unless it's actually addressed to you.
Or you could use a better mailer...
by
SuperBanana
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Here's an article talking about the details of implementing a network level spam defense with Qmail
Or, you could just use Postfix, which:
is almost entirely compatible with sendmail. It's pretty much drop-in-and-go.
adheres to RFCs(and there's a warning for any configuration option which would violate said RFCs)
has builtin anti-spam tools- you can turn on, individually, any of a dozen-plus different checks, such as making sure the claimed hostname in the HELO matches the IP the connection is coming from(you can do this several ways), or that the claimed hostname matches the mail-from user@hostname(ie, if you're coming from spammer.com, you're not gonna be able to claim to be joe@yahoo.com), etc. It's also one builtin command to check an RBL.
has a really sharp cookie of an author(the guy wrote tcpwrapper), who isn't widely regarded as an obnoxious twit
is completely free
Personally, I refuse to use any software written by DJB as a matter of principle. The guy flagrantly ignores RFCs because he simply feels like it and arrogantly thinks he knows better(and further that there is benefit to ignoring said RFCs).
Re:Hurrah for blacklists
by
qtp
·
· Score: 4, Informative
You're probably right, they will eventually want to charge money, and, IMHO, thier solution looks overly complicated and manipulable (spammers pay for "trusted" members to list them as "trusted").
It would be better if ISPs participated in services like the ORDB, SORBS and Monkeys that have simple network testable criteria for listing open relays. Spews, Spamhaus, and DSBL have reputable lists of usernames and addresses that send spam. If ISPs and admins would participate in projects like these, the spam problem would be greatly reduced. And it seems that these projects are mostly run by admins who are interested in blocking spam, not selling a service.
Slashdot Mirror
I suggest buying the book if you plan on implementing it. The online version isn't enough (and covers about 1/3 what the printed version does).
Make sure you follow the relay-ctrl section very close. You could be a source of spam if you do it wrong!
There are many problems with using RBLs to block connections. A very good description can be found here:
I've found SpamAssassin a fairly good, rather than block messages from RBLs it analysis message content, adds points to messages in RBLs and checks known Spam databases such as Razor and Pyzor. Rules matches are given a score, and messages with a total aggregate score are tagged in the message headers, allowing users to filter these if they want to.
A main advantage of this method is that no single rule can flag a message as spam, hence legitimate mail sourcing from the badly configured mail relay has a chance of getting through, and in my mind it's probably a particularly bad idea to block any email unless it's actually addressed to you.
Or, you could just use Postfix, which:
Personally, I refuse to use any software written by DJB as a matter of principle. The guy flagrantly ignores RFCs because he simply feels like it and arrogantly thinks he knows better(and further that there is benefit to ignoring said RFCs).
Please help metamoderate.
You're probably right, they will eventually want to charge money, and, IMHO, thier solution looks overly complicated and manipulable (spammers pay for "trusted" members to list them as "trusted").
It would be better if ISPs participated in services like the ORDB, SORBS and Monkeys that have simple network testable criteria for listing open relays. Spews, Spamhaus, and DSBL have reputable lists of usernames and addresses that send spam. If ISPs and admins would participate in projects like these, the spam problem would be greatly reduced. And it seems that these projects are mostly run by admins who are interested in blocking spam, not selling a service.
By the way, MAPS is currently free for individual use (look at the bottom of the page).
Read, L