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Re: [anti-spam-wg] Updated Charter Proposal

  • To: RIPE anti-spam WG anti-spam-wg@localhost
  • From: Brian Nisbet <brian.nisbet@localhost
  • Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:22:44 +0100

Colleagues,

First off thank you for your patience.  It's been some months since
Berlin, but this is the first opportunity I've had to spend time on
the charter, reviewing the transcript and audio fully to try and
bring as many of the excellent comments together.

And on foot of this I have received a couple of comments and some
advice.  I've made some minor but important changes to the document
for your consideration.  If there are no further substantive comments
made before August 15th I would like to recommend the new Charter to
the RIPE chair.  The only question then is the coin-flip between the
two real options for a new name, the Anti-Abuse WG or simply the Abuse
WG.

The new proposed Charter:

As the Internet has evolved, the scope and scale of network abuse have evolved in step. While unsolicited bulk email (spam) was previously the most visible form of network abuse, it is often now merely a symptom of much deeper abuse such as viruses or botnets. To reflect this changing Internet, it was proposed at RIPE 55 that the Anti-Spam Working Group widen its focus to include all relevant kinds of abuse.

It is considered difficult for this charter to include an exhaustive list of abuse types that would be considered within the scope of this working group, not least because this is expected to change over time. However an initial list can be stated and any necessary additions can be made.

- SPAM via SMTP
- SPAM via VoIP (SPIT)
- SPAM via Instant Message Systems
- Webforum/blog Abuse
- All systems and mechanisms, technical and non-technical used to create, control and make money from such abuse.

It is important to note that areas such as cybersquatting or hosting illegal content are not seen to be part of the remit of the working group.

The working group would aim to tackle the issue from both the technical and non-technical angles:

- To produce and continue to update a Best Common Practice document for ISPs similar in nature to RIPE-409 but covering a wider range of possible abusive behaviours.

- To provide advice (beyond that of the BCP) to relevant parties within the RIPE region such as ISPs, Governments and Law Enforcement Agencies on strategic and operational matters. It is not intended that the WG would become involved in individual incidents of abuse.

- To provide a forum for discussion of and disseminate information on technical methods of preventing or reducing network abuse.