[Hidden-tech] An Idea about Email

Steven Solomon ssol at interactiveguild.com
Mon Aug 25 11:07:31 EDT 2008


Folks,

I have agree both with Roman's sentiments and urge to be proactive on  
spam, as well as the very realistic analysis of Robert and Chris.  
There's not a lot that reforming laws will do to reduce spam, and  
software fixes just play into the "arms race" tactics of spammers.  
Hardware fixes are down right sinister in their potential  
implications if, as with software solutions, they are dictated by the  
government.

Just the same, their is something to be said for the placebo effect.  
If it makes us feel better to get together and see what we can come  
up with and agree on, why not? We might even find a novel idea coming  
from a member of the group or the group mind. I'd be happy to lend a  
hand in titling at this windmill. It will, at the very least be an  
instructive exercise in being informed by some very smart people.

S

Steven Solomon
Writer, Inventor, Near Futurist
ssol at interactiveguild.com
http://www.interactiveguild.com
Mobile: 413.537.4536

In The Maze of a Networked World, We Help You See Around Corners.

On Aug 24, 2008, at 11:42 AM, Chris Hoogendyk wrote:

>   ** Be sure to fill out the survey/skills inventory in the  
> member's area.
>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
>
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
> -- 
> ---------------
>
> Chris Hoogendyk
>
> -
>   O__  ---- Systems Administrator
>  c/ /'_ --- Biology & Geology Departments
> (*) \(*) -- 140 Morrill Science Center
> ~~~~~~~~~~ - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
> <hoogendyk at bio.umass.edu>
>
> ---------------
> Erdös 4
>
>
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