UCE (UNSOLICITED commercial e-mail) is expensive. It eats bandwidth, hogs disk space on mail servers, and wastes employees'
time. The problem is magnified for users on dial-up connections and wireless devices -- they have to wait for UCE to download
before they can delete it. Often, users are forced to abandon long-standing e-mail addresses after their inboxes are overrun
with junk.
Internet and e-mail service providers are deploying large-scale filtering solutions, including Brightmail, so they can offer
UCE-free mail as an option to their subscribers. Brightmail and its like are expensive because they require constant research
to stay ahead of spammers' tricks. Similarly, subscriptions to the MAPS (Mail Abuse Prevention System) databases, a service
that helps corporate e-mail administrators blacklist (refuse connections from) IP addresses suspected of disseminating UCE,
are costly. Fortunately, there are free and low-cost alternatives, but they require more diligence and involvement.
There are several free blacklist databases. They use the same query mechanism as MAPS, so e-mail server software that can
use MAPS to block UCE can point to one or more of the free alternatives. The problem with the free blacklists is that they
come and go; it's hard to find ISPs that will donate the gobs of bandwidth these servers need. The databases are maintained
by volunteers and funded by donations, so they're also easy prey for any UCE pusher that files a lawsuit.
Joe Jared's Osirusoft (
http://relays.osirusoft.com
) has become a clearinghouse for open relay databases. Open relays are often used by spammers to hide the true origin of
their messages. The Distributed Sender Boycott List (
http://www.dsbl.org
) lists UCE origin sites submitted by trusted reporters, and SpamCop (
http://www.spamcop.net
) sells affordable commercial services but permits free access to its blacklist.
The free blacklists rely on reports from UCE victims. Every company should appoint an administrator who submits complaints
to ISPs and, when an ISP doesn't respond, sends a report to blacklist services. SpamCop offers a free UCE complaint forwarding
service that hides the complainant's address. Companies should also support anti-spam groups with donations of cash, bandwidth,
or equipment, or by contributing to the legal funds of blacklist operators that get hauled to court.
The blacklists aren't just used by e-mail servers. Desktop spam blockers such as High Mountain Software's $24.95 SpamEater
Pro (
http://www.spameaterpro.com
) and McAfee's $39.95 SpamKiller (
http://www.mcafee.com
) periodically clean users' mailboxes of UCE. These products can use the aforementioned blacklist databases, but they identify
most junk mail by checking every message's content against a set of rules. Both products automate UCE complaints, and SpamEater
Pro routes complaints through SpamCop.
It takes knowledge and time to track and blacklist spammers, but the detective work can be fun and the cause is worth the
effort.
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