Re: MyDoom, Sorbig - Actions taken?

I'd like to draw a parallel between "outgoing messages" and "outgoing IP 
packets".

Here, I'm using the term "outgoing" in a very broad sense.

To reduce the amount of IP packet spoofing, router software manufacturers and 
network admins have been encouraged to check "outgoing" packets and filter out 
packets containing "spoofed" addresses. This can be easily done in routers and 
could/should/has (?) reduced or eliminated spoofed packets traversing the 
Internet.

Wouldn't it be nice if the same sort of thing could be done with email 
messages?  
Imagine all the viruses that would be blocked because they could only send mail 
on 
behalf of the "originating location's mail domain".

Of course, it can't really be done due to the current design of SMTP. Yes, 
there are 
some proposals that allow recipients to try to verify the allowability of an IP 
address 
to send mail on behalf "claimed sender addresses", but I consider these to be 
band-
aid solutions.

And most importantly, controlling "outgoing" messages has nothing to do with 
the 
payload of those messages. So, MIME issues, for example, aren't in the picture 
because the transport mechanism is transparent.

I think this is a good discussion to have. That is, can the email system be 
changed to 
reduce propagation of these types of viruses? I didn't see the initial posting 
in this 
thread, so I cannot comment on any early proposals that may have made.

I do think that "propagation control" is more likely to be successful if its 
payload 
transparent. I also think that given the current design of SMTP, no easy, 
complete 
and reliable solution for SMTP will be forthcoming.  

So, perhaps mail-ng is the place to discuss sweeping reforms to messaging as we 
know it, and this forum is a place to discuss shorter term solutions that are 
reliable, 
effective and possible.

I must say I'm rather disappointed with the tone of this thread, the innuendo 
and 
chest thumping on all sides.  I think list subscribers are here because they 
have 
made contributions to "the technology of messaging" in the past, currently are 
doing 
so, or will do so in the future.

So comments like "you're clueless go away" and "I'm great look at all the stuff 
I 
wrote" seem out of character.

Thanks for reading this far.

-- 
Brad Clements,                bkc(_at_)murkworks(_dot_)com   (315)268-1000
http://www.murkworks.com                          (315)268-9812 Fax
http://www.wecanstopspam.org/                   AOL-IM: BKClements