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Should ISPs Cut Off Bot-infected Users?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the excising-the-tumor dept.

richi writes "There's no doubt that botnets are a major threat to the safety and stability of the internet — not to mention the cleanliness of your inbox. After years of failure to act, could we finally be seeing ISPs waking up to their responsibilities? While ISPs can't prevent users getting infected with bots, they are in a superb position to detect the signs of infection. Contractually, the ISP would be reasonably justified in cutting off a user from the internet, as bot infection would be contrary to the terms of the ISP's acceptable-use policy."

5 of 486 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No by TheOldFart · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Your name is almost an anagram to Xanax, which, by the looks of it, you need a lifetime supply of.

  2. Why not just cut of China and Russia fm Net? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    A more serious question should be, why don't we just cut off China and Russia, the botnet controllers, from the Net?

    That would make more sense.

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    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  3. No Home Email Servers!!!! by shmlco · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Cable and DSL home networks shouldn't be RUNNING mail servers. If we blocked the ports for home mail servers altogether, it would eliminate half the reason for creating botnets in the first place.

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    Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    1. Re:No Home Email Servers!!!! by Bobakitoo · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      Fuck you. The internet is not a consumer distribution network. Each host is a client and a server. And if i want to receive mail at my home it is not of your business.

      Peer should be killed for their bad behavior, not for their capability. They should be disconnected for sending spam, not because they have a mta or a botd. It should be up to the owner to decide if he want to 1. Remain disconected, 2. Stop willingly sending spam or 3. Remove the botd that send spam without his knowledge.

  4. Re:No help by taustin · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    How am I supposed to get my computer fixed if I get completely cut off from the Internet?

    Since you have proven yourself incapable of keeping your computer secure without supervision, you call tech support, and follow their detailed instructions to the letter. They're probably idiots, too, of course, but you (the generic you, whose account has been cut off) have proven to be so.

    This forces the infected (and probably clueless) user to do something instead of just letting their compromised machine spew spam and malware relentlessly.