Neowin.net - Anti-Spam Web Pages Shut Down by Attacks

Anti-Spam Web Pages Shut Down by Attacks

Posted by Marcel Klum on 26 September 2003 - 06:00 · 14 comments & 2986 views

Three Web sites that provide spam blocking lists have shut down as a result of crippling Internet attacks in what experts on Thursday said is an escalation in the war between spammers and opponents of unsolicited e-mails.

The technological war comes as Congress considers a federal anti-spam law and California adopts what is widely considered to be the toughest law in the country. The California law, signed on Tuesday, allows people to sue spammers for $1,000 per unsolicited e-mail and up to $1 million for a spam campaign.

"This definitely marks an escalation in the spam wars," Andrew Barrett, executive director of The Spamcon Foundation, a spam watchdog group, said of the recent Internet attacks on lists used to block spam.

Two of those spam block lists have shut down after being attacked by denial-of-service attacks, in which compromised computers are used to send so much traffic to a Web site that it is temporarily taken down. The operator of another list shut down fearing a pending attack.

"There seems to be a methodical well-planned attempt to use pre-assembled networks of zombie machines to create sustained denial of service attacks on servers where these block lists run," said Barrett.

News source: Reuters

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#1 Posted by Tech001101 on 26 Sep 2003 - 06:30: ROFL...these spammers are really asking for it..

they don't obviously realize majority of the public including hackers are against their method of marketing. so i'm sure we'll see a grandscale Retailation in the future.

#2 Posted by Jugalator on 26 Sep 2003 - 07:14: I guess the difference is that spammers are breaking the law, while anti-spammers aren't... IIRC, DDoS attacks aren't exactly legal. Too bad they're hard to catch.

#3 Posted by Stingray on 26 Sep 2003 - 11:22: Spammers = trash.

(2 replies) #4 Posted by BonkedProducer on 26 Sep 2003 - 12:48: When can we all agree that injuring these people in a physical matter may be acceptable. I mean I am honestly getting to the point that I am placing SPAMMERS higher on my list of SCUM OF THE UNIVERSE than the spots I had reserved for clowns and child abusers.

I swear if anyone ever told me they bought something from a spam message, I would disown and disavow knowledge of them for all eternity.

(1 reply) #5 Posted by antsy on 26 Sep 2003 - 13:08: I think we should create webpages full of non existant email addresses

#6 Posted by kairon on 26 Sep 2003 - 13:08: Telemarketers and Spammers - The scum of the universe

#7 Posted by BonkedProducer on 26 Sep 2003 - 14:19: At least I can hang up on a telemarketer... I have to sort through spammer garbage... I wish them all rare blood disorders!

#8 Posted by StuRReaL on 26 Sep 2003 - 15:40: all spammer must be hung drawn and quatered. I have to say i hate spammer more than i hate virus writers and thats saying something

#9 Posted by Mr. Black on 26 Sep 2003 - 17:00: I think this has gone well past simple spammers and their opponents. Either the spammers all of a sudden have become hackers magically, or, like the slime they are and always have been, have thrown cash at some hackers to play on their side...

It's nice anti-spam groups try to stay within legal means and of course the slimy spammers have to recruit 13 year old script kiddies with a few zombie machines to DoS these Anti-spam sites...how pathetic.

#10 Posted by Tech001101 on 26 Sep 2003 - 17:41: create a bunch of fake e-mails and then lure the bots to the site and crash'em or infect. LOL

#11 Posted by MitchShrader on 27 Sep 2003 - 05:25: in order of social pariahs, top down, Spammers, Telemarketers, RIAA Lawyers, IRS auditors, Stalkers, Blackmailers, and Clowns. see? Clowns aren't NEARLY the worst..

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