BlueSecurity Database Compromised?

EElyn writes "Numerous users of Blue Security's anti-spam system now report of a new form of aggressive spam. An unknown group of spammers claim to have derived a way to extract the member email addresses of Blue Security group's anti-spam system, called Blue Frog. Blue Frog, a small tool which once installed on the user's computer, enables Blue Security to systematically flood a known spammer's website with opt-out messages; much to the headache of the spammer. Tens of thousands of users have already signed up, so can it really be true that spammers now possess this database? Or is this yet another frail attempt by spammers to intimidate the user?" Another reader sent the text of the letter; read more to see.

Stray1 writes ""You are recieving this email because you are a member of BlueSecurity...." An email from unknown detractors has taken the Bluesecurity anti spam lists and decided to take matters into their own hands. I recieved this Email from an anonymous, and garbled host, which went on to say in not so fantastic english that I, as a Blusecurity member, would recieve this and many more (about 20 -30) spam messages a day until I left the blue security community. Blue Security, (www.bluesecurity.com)a website and community designed to lessen your Spam Email, is down for the moment. Is this what we have come to? Spam,(erm 'high volume email') companys holding your address hostage until you comply? "...We mightve had your email addresses before in our lists, but now, we are targetting YOU, because YOU are a bluesecurity user". I have to say, up until this point, my spam was down by about 70% to 80%."

Comments

I'd call the bluff

[Anonymous Coward]

If they're able to do so, what will stop them from *not* spamming you in the future anyway? Their ethics, integrity or your stupidity?

Re:Eye for an Eye?

[Fordiman]

Blah blah blah.

'Vigilante' would imply something illegal is going on. This is market forces at work - more effective, generally, than government intervention.

Re:What must be done

[clevershark]

The only thing that most of these "please remove me" BS forms do is confirm that the email address is a valid one, and can be resold to more spammers. If anything filling those out actually causes more harm than good.

If you're confused, read the article again; it's mentioned.

Thanks Tips, but all four links in the article seem to be unreachable.

Blue security must be working

[paladinwannabe2]

If BlueSecurity wasn't hurting Spammers they would ignore it. If they are fighting back it must mean that BlueSecurity is actually doing damage to them.

Re:Eye for an Eye?

[Fordiman]

Vigilantism is the act of taking the law into your own hands. It carries an implication of illegal, or more specifically, 'by any means necessary'.

This is 'a community action to produce a market incentive', which is wholly different from 'vigilantism', at least in a literal sense.

Sure, sure, it looks like we're locked in this huge digital superhero battle between the evil spammers and the innocent citizenry, but face it: We're making an attempt to prevent high-volume e-mail to our e-mail addresses from being profitable, and that is all. We are consciously generating market pressure to achieve a goal, and we are doing it in an unorthodox, but morally and legally clean way.

A segment of the population has said, 'High-volume e-mail is annoying enough to be a breach of the peace, as far as I'm concerned. I want none of it, and I will make an effort to prevent my mailbox from recieving them, by filter and by incentive."

Your use of the term 'vigilante tactics' is an obvious attempt to cast a dim light on the activities of the Blue Security community. It brings a baseless accusation to mind - and this being slashdot, I'm inclined to make it - but I think I'll leave the obvious to the outside observer.

Frelling trolls.

Nice FUD but...

[Eric Damron]

Blue frog is open source...