Anti-spam Working Group

Draft minutes from RIPE 31

     RIPE31
     Anti-Spam Working Group
     DRAFT MINUTES
     1. ADMIN STUFF
             Chair: James Aldridge, EUnet
             Scribe: Petra Zeidler, Xlink
     2. GENERAL WG INPUT
     2.1 Current problems,major incident reports, etc
             "Reverse Spam" - Forged mail headers implicate innocent third party;
             the innocent party gets all complaints, delivery reports, etc.
             "Spam Relaying" - main problem in Germany as spam sending is
             considered fraudulant.
             Problems with unresponsive spam originating provider.
     2.2 Means of dealing with spam
             ISP Relaying
             Customer Relaying
             SMTP port blocking for incoming/outgoing
             Blocking known spammers (blacklists)
     2.3 Roaming Customers
             - setting e.g. local mail smarthost transferred in PPP negotiation
             - tunnelling back to home ISP
             - authenticated SMTP
             - limited amount relaying (when connecting to home server from remote
               address)
     2.4 Implications of blocking/restricting SMTP to force use of ISP's relay
             Some people want to be able to send end-to-end
     3. CODE OF CONDUCT FOR ISPs
     ===========================
             - Ask customers not to spam
             - responsive to spam reports
             - coordination of open relay removal (taking advantage of
               provider/customer relationship)
             - have an abuse@ email address (reference RFCXXXXX standard email
               addresses)
             - educate people to see where to look
             - get complaints fast to block ongoing abuse
             - abuse.net to make abuse reporting easy
             - blacklist known spam users:
                     = wouldn't work with online registation ISPs
                     = may be illegal
             - IP address use limits (assignment of IP addresses to customers has
               additional limitations above existing Regional Registry rules)
             Discussion:
             
                     - US: "good" spam (has correct "From" field)
                     - Belgium: "database entry" spam (not really a legally
                       required act)
                     - gathering addresses from public databases (RIPE, InterNIC,
                       etc).  All databases copyright; proof of abuse leads to
                       legal action.
                     - NSI CD-ROM seems to have been withdrawn
                     - White pages
                     - "tar pit" - abuse triggers delay in all SMTP actions
                       limiting rate at which spam can be transmitted.
                     - restrict number of recipients in a single SMTP
                       transaction/message
                     - Get "typical" spammer's profile so new ISPs can avoid taking
                       them on.
                     - get together a common set of terms and conditions -
                     different laws across Europe - how does this affect us?
                     - what existing laws relate to spam?
                     - what about non-EU countries?
                     - terminate contract if abuse
                     - bill for abuse cleanup
                     - have marketing people write "netiquette" document
                     - EU-wide, every ISP netiquette and maybe even have country
                     spec netiquette
                     - put pressure on software vendors to not deliver SMTP servers
                     which are open to third-party relaying in default
                     configuration.
                     - technical measures won't last for ever: legal standards are
                     necessary
                     - have an RFC say "thou shalt not relay 3rd party mail"
                     - "Good netkeeping" /"RIPE approved" sticker for software with
                     good defaults
     4. CENAR
             abuse.net exists
             last resort will become first
             duplication of efforts to be avoided
     5. AOB
             LINX is hosting a "spam conference" in London in October
             Check maps.vix.com for relaying checker and hints to fix is open and a
             lot of other useful information.