[Mimedefang] FTC asks ISPs to crack down on zombie PCs

[WBrown at e1b.org]

mimedefang-bounces at lists.roaringpenguin.com wrote on 05/26/2005 01:23:56 
PM:

> On Wed, 25 May 2005 14:41:52 -0500 (CDT), Ian Mitchell wrote
> 
> > Privacy. TLS encryption from MTA to MTA through the ISP is a good 
example.
> 
> You can still run your own MTA, just it should forward all outbound mail 
to
> the ISP MTA and not attempt any direct to MTA deliveries. If you have 
TLS
> setup and your ISP has TLS capabilities it will remained encryted the 
entire
> way, it will even remain encrypted if the recieving end has TLS too, if 
the
> recieving end doesnt then you dont loose anything cause your own MTA 
woudl
> have dropped it as well (the encryption that is).

If you TLS to the ISP's mail server, the ISP can still snoop the contents 
(or let Big Brother have a copy if they supeona it.)

> > So there's not much hiding involved. 
> 
> You cannot hide from your ISP, they know who you are.... ;-)

Which is why the trick is to encrypt the traffic until it gets past the 
ISP's reach.  Look up "onion routing."

 
> Why would an ISP shutdown port 25 inbound? I see no logical reason to do 
so,
> spam does not get delivered directly to a users desktop (at this time at
> least). The zombies are not controlled via port 25 inbound (at least any 
I
> have seen). In other words, I know of no good reason to shutdown port 25
> inbound... now port 25 outbound, yes, definately for dynamic IP space.

To kill mail servers sitting inside their network (in violation of the 
TOS).  Adelphia did this to me.  I didn't mind so much blocking inbound 
port 80, but 25 rally honked me off!