[Hidden-tech] An Idea about Email

[Chris Hoogendyk]

Robert Heller wrote:
>> Hi Robert,
>>
>> I think we need to return to main point.
>>
>> Regardless of gripes about the manufactures of computer operating systems
>> being co-opted and the physical source of the email spam is illegal and
>> sending it is now a criminal activity punishable by jail time. It is an
>> expense to each one of us and a block to creative endeavors. 
>>
>> Spammers are literally criminals and they can be found because the money
>> from the web sites that sell their products or scams has to go someplace.
>> Many are truly here in the US even here in our state. 
>>
>> Even if the sources of the spammer's sites are overseas we do have embassies
>> and ambassadors. Some foreign countries are also fighting spammers. I am not
>> saying that we can solve the entire problem but let us engage the problem
>> head on rather than hiding behind the latest real time black lists or
>> Antispam service that slows down our computers.
>>
>> We as citizens have the right to pressure our government at both state and
>> federal level to enforce the laws take more action. We can pressure
>> politicians. We can show the police them how to track these people down if
>> they do not know already. Even now there are significant tools available to
>> track these criminals down.
>>
>> I have had a few people indicate they are interest in such a meeting. I
>> would like a sense if you can not attend you allow myself or the other
>> hidden tech people to communicate to law enforcement on your behalf.
>>
>> Please let me know directly or though this forum so I can use the support as
>> a lever to force a meeting?
>>     
>
> Sure I'll support a meeting.  I'm just not sure just how effective it
> is going to be.  So long as you realize that even if the law
> enforcement people and the court system (and in some cases the state
> department) do their best and convict *every* spammer with real jail
> time (rather than some meaningless fine), spam is not likely to go away
> anytime soon or even be reduced in any *measurable* way.

I've stayed out of this, but I think some naivete needs to be exposed . . .

The local police and authorities have very little to do with this and 
probably don't have the expertise. I would not presume to know all the 
legal nuances, but this does get into the same realm as inter-state 
commerce. The jurisdiction is both federal and international. The FBI is 
the organization that would deal with it. There have been instances at 
UMass where the FBI have been involved in forensic analysis of 
computers. Under the new structures, I believe this falls under the 
Department of Homeland Security. When it comes to computer security, the 
NSA gets involved as well, not from the direction of enforcement, but 
from the direction of technical advice and analysis.

If you want to see some of the law enforcement and technical issues from 
a case study perspective, check out the book Takedown 
<http://www.takedown.com>. It's a little bit dated, and somewhat 
egotistical, but quite interesting.

More recently, I actually got a paper letter very similar to the typical 
Nigerian email scams. I did some research and discovered that the U.S. 
had coordinated with the Nigerian government to interdict huge 
quantities of such mail (with counterfeit postage stamps), but the 
scammers then began using adjacent African countries to send mail. The 
U.S. now has State Department level agreements with several of those 
countries. Nigeria was anxious to nail the scammers, because according 
to international postal agreements, the U.S. bills Nigeria for the 
delivery of mail originating from Nigeria. So the Nigerian government 
ended up having to pay for the delivery of the scams.

If you dig into it a bit, do some reading, follow some of the online 
security forums, tracking web sites, and security list serves, you will 
find a lot of people and agencies involved in these efforts.


-- 
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Chris Hoogendyk

-
   O__  ---- Systems Administrator
  c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments
 (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

<hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>

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Erdös 4