Sc ope of t he Pr obl e m Spa m About 60% of a l l - PDF document

Sc ope of t he Pr obl e m Spa m • About 60% of a l l e m a i l i s s pam – M uc h i s f r a udul e nt – M uc h i s i na ppr opr i a t e f or ki ds • 5% of U. S. ne t us e r s have bought s om e t hi ng f r om Edwa r d W . Fe l t e n a s pam m e r – Bi l l i ons of dol l a r s of s a l e s De pt . of Com put e r Sc i e nc e – Spa m m i ng pa ys Pr i nc e t on Uni ve r s i t y • W i l l t al k a bout e m a i l ; but a f f e c t s ot he r c om m uni ca t i on t e c hnol ogi e s al s o An Em a i l M e s s a ge Em a i l Tr a ns por t s e nde r r e c e i ve r Fr om : f el t e n@ c s . pr i nc e t on. e du To: l a z ows ka @ c s . wa s hi ngt on. e du Subj e c t : m a i l f or ge r y POP/ I M AP SM TP Da t e : Nove m be r 18, 2004 Ac t ua l l y, a nybody c a n m a ke a m e s s a ge l i ke t hi s . The r e ’ s no i nhe r e nt a ut he nt i c a t i on of t he r e c e i ve r ’ s SM TP Se nde r ’ s s e r ve r Re c e i ve r ’ s s e r ve r a ddr e s s , a nd no gua r a nt e e t ha t t he m e s s a ge c a m e f r om a ny pa r t i c ul a r pl a c e . For ge r y i s e a s y. Com pl i c a t i ons : f or wa r di ng, m a i l i ng l i s t s , aut or e s ponde r s , e t c . W ha t i s Spa m ? W ha t i s Spa m ? ( 1) Em a i l t ha t t he r e c i pi e nt doe s n’ t wa nt . ( 3) Uns ol i c i t e d c om m e r c i a l e m a i l . Pr obl e m s : But wha t e xa c t l y does “ uns ol i c i t e d” m e a n? -onl y de f i ne d a f t e r t he f a c t -ba n r a i s e s Fi r s t Am e ndm e nt i s s ue s ( 2) Uns ol i c i t e d e m a i l . Pr obl e m : l ot s of uns ol i c i t e d e m a i l i s de s i r e d 1

Fr e e Spe e c h I s s ue s W or ki ng De f i ni t i on of Spa m • Law s om e t i m e s a l l ows s pe e c h, e ve n whe n Any com m e r c i al , non- pol i t i c al e m a i l i s s pam , unl e s s t he l i s t e ne r doe s n’ t wa nt t o he a r i t . ( a ) t he r e c i pi e nt has cons e nt e d t o r e ce i ve i t , ( b) t he s e nde r and r e ce i ve r have an ongoi ng bus i ne s s r e l a t i ons hi p, or • Com m e r c i a l s pe e c h l e s s pr ot e c t e d t ha n ( c ) t he m e s s age r e l a t e s t o a n ongoi ng pol i t i c a l s pe e c h. c om m e r c i al t r a ns a c t i on be t we e n t he s e nde r a nd r e ce i ve r . • At t he ve r y l e a s t , l e t ’ s not bl ock a m e s s age i f bot h pa r t i e s wa nt i t t o ge t t hr ough. Not e : j us t l ooki ng a t a m e s s age won’ t t e l l you whe t he r or not i t ’ s s pam . Ant i - s pa m M e a s ur e s Pr i va t e La ws ui t s by I SPs • I SP s e nds s pa m m e r c e a s e - a nd- de s i s t l e t t e r • Enf or c e l a ws a ga i ns t wi r e f r a ud, f a l s e m e di c a l c l a i m s , e t c . • Spa m m e r ke e ps s e ndi ng s pam • I SP f i l e s s ui t • Re qui r e a c c ur a t e l a be l i ng of or i gi n; a l l ows f i l t e r i ng by or i gi n – Cl a i m i ng cybe r - t r e s pas s – Se e ki ng m one y dam age s – Bi g s pam m e r j us t s e nt e nce d t o ni ne ye a r s i n – Se e ki ng i nj unc t i on aga i ns t f ur t he r s pa m m i ng VA s t a t e pr i s on f or m i s l abe l i ng • Som e s uc c e s s s o f a r , but m os t l y us e f ul a s de t e r r e nt Bl a c kl i s t s W hi t e l i s t s • M a ke l i s t of known e m a i l a ddr e s s e s , or known I P • M ake l i s t of pe opl e / pl a c e s you wa nt t o ge t a ddr e s s e s , of s pam m e r s e m a i l f r om • Di s ca r d e m a i l f r om t hos e addr e s s e s • I m pr a c t i c a l t o a c c e pt e m a i l onl y f r om t he s e • Pr obl e m s pe opl e – Spa m m e r s t r y t o m i s l e a d a bout m e s s a ge or i gi n • But s t i l l us e f ul – Spa m m e r s m ove a r ound a l ot – M a ke ot he r a nt i - s pam m e a s ur e s m or e s t r i nge nt – I nnoc e nt us e r s s om e t i m e s e nd up s ha r i ng a ddr e s s e s wi t h s pa m m e r s – Exce pt i on f or pe opl e on whi t e l i s t – Fal s e a c c us a t i ons 2

Paym e nt Pr obl e m s wi t h paym e nt • Tr y t o r a i s e c os t of s e ndi ng e m ai l • I f us i ng r e a l m oney, i nvol ves t he ba nki ng s ys t em – I de al l y, r a i s e m or e f or s pam m e r s t han f or nor m al s e nde r s • I f payi ng i n r e s our c e s , wa s t e of r e s our c e s • Pay i n t he f or m of : – Re s our ce s a r e c he ap f or s pam m e r s anyway – M one y • De t e r s s om e l e gi t i m a t e e m a i l –e s pe c i a l l y – W a s t e d com put a t i onal r e s our ce s bi g ( l e gi t i m a t e ) m a i l i ng l i s t s – Hum a n a t t e nt i on Se nde r a ut he nt i c a t i on Cont e nt - Ba s e d Fi l t e r i ng • Va r i ous s c he m es • Cl a s s i f y i ncom i ng m e s s age s ba s e d on c ont e nt s • M ake s ur e t ha t m a i l c om es f r om t he r i ght – Appl y f i xe d r ul e s ( e . g.Spam As s as s i n) pl a c e , gi ve n t he ( c l a i m e d) s e nde r – M a chi ne l e a r ni ng, ba s e d on us e r l a be l i ng – e . g. m y m a i l com e s f r om a Pr i nce t on I P a ddr e s s •W or d- ba s e d Ba ye s i a n l e a r ni ng • W or ks okay, but – Com pl i ca t e d i n pr e s e nce of f or wa r di ng e t c . – Doe s n’ t a ddr e s s s pam bot s on s t ol e n m ac hi ne s Fi l t e r i ng I s s ue s Ca s e St udy: Do- Not - Em a i l Li s t • I n CAN- SPAM Ac t , Congr es s a s ke d FTC t o • Fa i r l y a c c ur a t e , but not f ool pr oof s t udy a Na t i ona l Do- Not - Em a i l ( DNE) l i s t – Tr a de of f f a l s e pos i t i ve s vs . f a l s e ne ga t i ve s – Li ke Do- Not - Cal l l i s t f or t e l e m a r ke t i ng – St i l l ne e d t o l ook a t s us pe c t e d- s pam m e s s age s • Congr e s s a s ke d: • Spa m m e r s us i ng count e r m e as ur e s – Shoul d we have a DNE l i s t ? – “ wor d s al a d” – I f we have one , how s houl d i t wor k? • FTC hi r e d e xpe r t s ( i nc l udi ng m e ) t o gi ve t e c hni c a l a dvi c e . 3