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Re: DNS Choices: Was: [ietf-dkim] Re: Last Call: 'DomainKeys

2006-12-05 20:39:06
On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 22:27:09 -0500
Jeffrey Hutzelman <jhutz(_at_)cmu(_dot_)edu> wrote:



On Wednesday, November 22, 2006 04:00:49 PM +0000 Tony Finch
<dot(_at_)dotat(_dot_)at> wrote:

On Wed, 22 Nov 2006, Michael(_dot_)Dillon(_at_)btradianz(_dot_)com wrote:

SMTP, on the other hand is an operational failure and even today,
no one really knows how to properly implement and properly
maintain an SMTP service. The actions of criminals exploiting
weaknesses in the SMTP architecture have led to a series of
bandaids that still have not proven to be effective.

Any communications mechanism which allows you (or your
organization) to receive messages from people (or organizations)
you have no prior relationship with is vulnerable to spam. Spam is
NOT an SMTP problem.

Correct.  For example, the postal mail system is vulnerable to this
same problem:

As is my usual practice, I asked the post office to hold my mail
while I was away at IETF 67 (this is a standard service offered by
the US Postal Service at no charge).  I took some time off after, so
when I finally picked up my mail, it was about 3 weeks worth.  I
received a plastic shopping bag full of mail, and after I sorted
through it, I had several bills and a grand total of three other
pieces, all of which were prearranged (an issue of QST, a newsletter,
and an invitation).  The rest of the bag was spam.


Right.  OTOH, the folks who send physical spam don't hijack other
people's postal meters, and the products they're selling usually
exist...


                --Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb

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