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Re: [Asrg] Comments on draft-church-dnsbl-harmful-01.txt

2006-03-28 11:21:44
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Dan Oetting wrote:
No one is forced to use any DNS block list. Therefor, any harmful 
effects of the DNSBL can only be because they are the best  alternative
currently available. The response I would prefer to see  is the building
of a better block list system to address any  shortcomings of the
current DNSBL systems.

One particular issue brought up in the draft is that the current  block
lists don't adequately deal with bot-nets. If the block list  could
respond fast enough, each individual bot could be blocked  before it
could deliver a substantial amount of spam. And if used in  conjunction
with grey listing the entire spam run could be stopped  without inducing
collateral damage.

I don't think a remark like that in the Church draft belongs in a BCP.

Furthermore, define "adequately" ;-)

Be that as that may, before taking it seriously, you do have to verify it.

The CBL's reaction time, for example, seems to have improved greatly of
late, and the CBL's particular forte is bots.  Coupled with greylisting,
that should catch just about everything, including that sent before the
CBL notices the IP.  So, we already have what you suggest.

Given that here the CBL alone is responsible for approximately 80% of
our blocking (others variously report from 60-85%), and approximately
only 3% of _all_ spam gets through (the remainder are caught by our
other mechanisms, some DNSBL, some content), I don't think it can be
said that blocklists in general aren't dealing reasonably well with
bots.  Not with perfection - nothing is. But pretty darn good.

Is that "adequate"?  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.  But it's certainly better
than any of the alternatives.
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