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Savvis Grudgingly Get Savvy About Spam

Posted by timothy on from the spammers-deserve-some-of-what-they-get dept.

ElvenMonkey writes "The BBC is reporting that Savvis has finally promised to ditch those accounts that are using its network to send spam, in an effort to reduce the damage already done against its reputation; the CEO promises that all such accounts will be closed within 10 days (working days?) Amongst these accounts are believed to be the majority of the top 150 worst spammers worldwide."

23 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why do they still have any link to the network? Other ISPs should cut them off if they refuse to cut off spammers.

    1. Re:Question by arivanov · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There is a good saying - if you steal one penny you are a thief. If you steal one billion you are a banker.

      Similarly, what is unacceptable for a mom and pop garage shop ISP is perfectly acceptable for a Tier 1 or a larger Tier 2 ISP. If they decide to make a business from hosting SPAMmers (and some do) there are very few means to fight them.

      --
      Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
      http://www.sigsegv.cx/
    2. Re:Question by Havokmon · · Score: 4, Informative
      Why do they still have any link to the network? Other ISPs should cut them off if they refuse to cut off spammers.

      Savvis is an awesome provider. I run a free email service, and I can tell you when I was on Savvis (sharing a connection with another business), they were great. They told me when they got abuse complaints, and I took care of it. They also assign your subnet to you within Arin, so my guess is that they don't hear 90% of 'Arin complaints'.

      Now I'm on RoadRunner (only access available where I am). The idiots in RR abuse will not forward me complaints, they just threaten to cut my access. They will not make an Arin change, and actually told me to buy 8 (yes, EIGHT) ips from ARIN so I wouldn't be associated with RR. Apparently the routing nightmare that would be created by assigning 8 IP's at a time is completely lost to RoadRunner tech support.

      It looks to me though, that the assetts and C&W just haven't been brought into the fold as well as they should have (include the Abuse arm). I personally have complete confidence in Savvis.

      --
      "I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
    3. Re:Question by Dimensio · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yep, Savvis is an awesome provider -- if you're a spammer.

      Savvis is being forced to terminate their spamming customers because they can no longer deny that they know about the spamming activity. Savvis has openly supported clients who have engaged in network abuse and even criminal activity.

      --
      STOP MISUSING APOSTROPHES, YOU MORONS!!!
  2. Great by Nos. · · Score: 5, Funny
    now how am I going to know:
    • If I am preapproved for a mortgage
    • Where to get cheap drugs
    • Where I can buy software for 1/10 of the normal price
    • etc
    1. Re:Great by ricotest · · Score: 5, Funny
      • You aren't, stay at your parents' house for now
      • Ask your son
      • Suprnova
      • It's a UNIX options directory.
  3. Capitalism In Full Flower by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny
    the CEO promises that all such accounts will be closed within 10 days (working days?) Amongst these accounts are believed to be the majority of the top 150 worst spammers worldwide."

    In related news the CEO said, "To make up for the lost revenue, we'll host pr0n. We'll be actively competing with GoatSex Guy."

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Capitalism In Full Flower by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Funny
      in related news the CEO said, "To make up for the lost revenue, we'll host pr0n. We'll be actively competing with GoatSex Guy."


      I refuse to belive that guy could possibly be generating revenue from that site.

      If anything, I'm sure he's paying through his ass for bandwidth. (Oh, sorry, couldn't resist.)

      =)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  4. Damn it! by cbrocious · · Score: 5, Funny

    Right on the day my emails for spam-blocking software were going out. Foiled again...

    --
    Disconnect and self-destruct, one bullet at a time.
  5. Truth about Savvis by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You can go to Savvis.net for the official spiel or try http://www.savvis.info/ for the truth.

  6. how terrible by RevKa · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was just starting to enjoy my corrspondence to that poor cancer ridden Zimbabwean, who happens to be trapped in space!

  7. Savvis to later announce.......... by ARRRLovin · · Score: 5, Funny

    ......a 75% decrease in network traffic.

    --
    -Randy
  8. If it makes money... by ElForesto · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... the spam will keep flowing. I guess the spammers themselves aren't the only ones raking in the green. I would imagine that the prospect of losing so much face to their largest clients is probably the only thing that got them to consider fixing the problem. If I happened to operate a large company, I wouldn't want to be associated with a company that's a spam factory.

    --
    There is a difference between "insightful" and "inciteful" other than spelling.
  9. Why 10 days? by garcia · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They obviously know who the 148 people are so why will it take them 10 days to remove their accounts?

    Are they going to send them a greeting card or something that says, "oh, even though you are great customers we are being told we can no longer host your illegal activities so you have 10 days to vacate?"

    1. Re:Why 10 days? by gclef · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Obviously, this will be conjecture, but my guess would be that 10 days is "reasonable", by their definition in the contract. The idea is if they get sued by any of the kicked spammers, they can point to the termination clause that includes "reasonable notification" and claim that 10 days is "reasonable", so they were within the terms of the contract.

    2. Re:Why 10 days? by SkjeggApe · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because that's how long it would take savvis to set up savvis2.net, or spamfriendlyisp.net, or something similar, move some servers around, send a "Don't use savvis.net/login anymore, use savvis2.net/login" email to all their "premium" customers, and LOUDLY proclaim that savvis.net has taken extreme measures in the battle against spam, and is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

  10. Right after they were threatened with a netblock by Animats · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This only happened after Savvis was told that their entire network was about to be e-mail blocked.

  11. Dropped for now by sbackholm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Savvis may be finally ready to drop these spammers, but how long before another ISP is willing to pick-up the $2 million dollar cash flow?

  12. ePorn is very profitable by winkydink · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I worked at a major competitor (big company) of these guys for a while. Almost 50% of hosting revenue came from Porn. They were great customers. Seldom complained. More often than not, paid full price for bandwidth, and always paid their bills on time.

    --

    "I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey

    1. Re:ePorn is very profitable by gordyf · · Score: 4, Funny
      They are happy to pay to keep it up
      *cough*.
  13. If they were serious. by www.sorehands.com · · Score: 4, Insightful
    If they were serious about spam (not just because it is starting to cost them), they could do more.

    When they cancel a spammer, make the information on the spammer public so that the spammer can be tracked and sued.



    --
    Fight Spammers!
  14. I thought all Spam was from evil non-Americans? by mark2003 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Every time a story gets raised on Slashdot about spam, hundreds of Slashdot posters blame it on those commies in China, Korea, Russia etc and then call for blocks of all emails from these countries...

    Now we have some proof that 148 of the world's worst spammers are hosted by a US company will these same people call for a complete block on US emails or is that now a crazy approach?

  15. From TFA... by jcr · · Score: 4, Insightful
    As rumours about Savvis and the spammers grew on the internet, executives discussed different ways of keeping the customers and whether they could hide them by changing their names or their computer IP addresses.

    One memo, from a senior Savvis executive in charge of Information Security, warned fellow management that the company was in danger of losing its good reputation and a secure and honourable provider.

    He warned that they could lose their ability to sell to upstanding customers.


    Too late. The fact that the PHBs at Savvis actually considered keeping the scumbags as customers takes them off my acceptable vendors list.

    May they burn in hell.

    -jcr
    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."