Spam Will Only Get Worse

[Human]

I don't think that we can legislate our way out of the spam problem.

 

However I do believe that if we repeal the "1995 internet decency Act" that it will be a good start.

 

Why that act you may ask? To me that ACT is one of the root problems in the United States as to why we have the spamming problem here. In that Law it holds harmless any ISP for ANYTHING posted in it. In other words there is NO incentive to really address the problem, and it gives a green light for ISP's to do as little as possible to stop the spamming problem.

 

Of course we need the help of other countries in combating spam, but we must first look at our country, and the reason why the spam laws have so far failed in curbing spam.

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I don't have all the answers , but I do have part of the answer, and it is to repeal that ACT. If that ACT is repealed it will hold ISP's liable for WHATEVER is posted in it.

 

The ISP's would have a hell of an incentive, and that is called " avoid being sued".

[Human]

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/tech/20041...18303612350.htm

 

 

 

Korea No. 2 Spam-Sending Country

 

 

 

By Kim Tae-gyu

Staff Reporter

One in seven spam mails worldwide was sent from South Korea this year, according to a security software firm which tracks the online nuisance.

 

The U.S.-based Sophos said Saturday that 13.43 percent of all junk messages sent this year came from Korea to earn the unenviable second-worst spot, only trailing the spam-sending kings, the United States with 42.11 percent.

 

China comes in at third with 8.44 percent followed by Canada with 5.71 percent, Brazil with 3.34 percent, Japan with 2.57 percent, France with 1.37 percent, Spain with 1.18 percent, Germany with 1.03 percent, Britain with 1.13 percent, Taiwan with 1 percent and Mexico with 0.89 percent.

 

The firm warned many spammers are using hacked computers with broadband connections to send out the unwanted commercial messages and this could explain Korea's position near the top of the list, as it leads the world for broadband penetration.

 

``Many of the computers sending out spam are most likely to have had their broadband Internet connections exploited by remote hackers. Zombie computers, which have been compromised by hackers or virus writers, are sending out over 40 percent of the world's spam, and many users who fall victim are unaware,'' Sophos said.

 

Korean experts echo the analysis saying: ``The reason why Korea dwells in the upper reach of the `Dirty Dozen¡¯ standings is its state-of-the-art infrastructure for high-speed Internet.''

 

More than 11 million Korean households are hooked up to 24-hour Internet, enabling most of its total 48 million population to maintain connectivity to the Net at an affordable price.

 

The Sophos announcement showed Korea's various anti-spam measures are not working and the government's stance that the growth of the unsolicited bulk e-mail started to be tamed.

 

Earlier in August, another U.S.-based entity, The Spamhaus Project, ranked Korea third in its 10 worst spamming countries as of a month earlier after the U.S. and China.

 

 

 

voc200@koreatimes.co.kr

[Guest Human]

http://www.theregister.com/2005/01/14/texas_spam_suit/

 

Texas sues student 'spammer' for $2m

By John Leyden

Published Friday 14th January 2005 14:31 GMT

 

Texan authorities launched federal suit yesterday against a University of Texas student alleged to have run one of the world's largest spam operations.

 

Ryan Samuel Pitylak, 22, and alleged accomplice Mark Stephen Trotter of Encinitas, California are accused of sending hundreds of thousands of junk mail messages through two firms they ran, PayPerAction and Leadplex. The pair are said to have specialised in spam messages hawking mortgage refinancing and other financial services designed to trick users into handing over personal information which the pair sold on for up to $28 a lead. Spamhaus ranks the defendants as the fourth largest illegal spam operation in the world in its Register of Known Spam Operations.

 

These spam messages often came with misleading subject lines and bogus sources, opening up the case for prosecution under the CAN-SPAM Act. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott also accuses the duo of violations of state laws, namely the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Texas Electronic Mail Solicitation Act. Texan authorities worked with Microsoft and others to set up "spam traps" that allowed investigators to track the source of the junk mail back to PayPerAction and Leadplex.

 

If proven, the allegations against the pair could result in fines of more than $2m. The pair deny the charges.

 

Lin Hughes, the lawyer representing Pitylak and Trotter, said two defendants sold their stake in Leadplex and PayPerAction in March 2004 to Hong Kong-based Eastmark Technology, a firm also named in the suit. She said her clients remained consultants to Leadplex and PayPerAction who are "legitimate Internet marketing companies in compliance with the federal law", according to local press reports. ®

[Luke_Wilbur]

Topping the list is the United States, which produces 42.11 percent of the spam being sent worldwide.

[Guest Human]

The British were right on how to combat the spamming problem, to have very strict protocals with e-mails.