SPAM attack?

[Jeff]

Anybody else having their email server get pounded? Seems like my little email server is getting hammered by the SPAM machine currently. Approximately 5 or 6 emails per 10s(rough estimate). Seems like a very robust attack with IP addresses from the whole spectrum. Makes blocking communication a bit difficult(SPAM is being filtered, but it's tough on the bandwidth so I'd like to just cutoff communication with whole IP ranges).

Seems to happen once or twice a year so I'm used to it, but this one seems much worserer.

[Helix_Von_Smelix]

nope, about an average day on the server i look after. Also work is the same

[LAURENU2]

No not here I just getting my normal 100 spams a day here

[Jeff]

I had to add ~150-200 IPs to the master filter.

I'd like to say it's a pain, but the geeky side of me just takes over and 2hrs later, they are all added.

The SPAMers probably just "purchased" a new list of unprotected mail servers to take over for the Christmas SPAM push.

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

Yeah probably
I did get offered the ultimate christmas gift ideas today for your drug using megalomanic types..
heroin in any form, rocket fuel and tomahawk missle (serious offers only)
Air to Air missiles, the works...
What's even funnier is when I get spam proclaiming to be from ME, yeah so if anyone gets any e-mail from my private ISP based address, if you don't know me then it's probably spam, if you do then check the name it should be my real one..
Another thing I hate is when your ISP filters your e-mail for you bouncing legit e-mails and not bouncing the spam, that and having to reset my "bounce flag" on spam-cop every other freaking day.

[Jeff]

Any of you IT Professionals think it's a bad idea to block whole country IP ranges? I mean, there is a ton of SPAM coming from Amsterdam, Brazil, and Japan. I'm thinking of blocking all of Amsterdam and Brazil since I do not know anyone from either place. Japan I'll be a bit more selective with, like I do with the US of A.

So... am I just asking for trouble doing this? Or is it pretty common practice in the IT world?

TIA.

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

spam-bin:*.*.*.*
unless keyword: <keyword here> in subject line or known / subscribed service (might need to do *@blah.net or whatever to get that in)
what I do get 1 bit of spam from someplace blacklist internally the whole place - that's a think there are commercially available blacklist lists.
spamcop : bl.spamcop.net
ordb: relays.ordb.org
there are others as well.

[Paratima]

Enabled Spamkiller on my server and Netcraft toolbar in Firefox.
Every time I get a phishing email (and I seem to get a few), it gets reported to Netcraft. No worries.

Problems = 0.00.

[[NGS]Cpt00Kirk]

Any of you IT Professionals think it's a bad idea to block whole country IP ranges? I mean, there is a ton of SPAM coming from Amsterdam, Brazil, and Japan. I'm thinking of blocking all of Amsterdam and Brazil since I do not know anyone from either place. Japan I'll be a bit more selective with, like I do with the US of A.

So... am I just asking for trouble doing this? Or is it pretty common practice in the IT world?

TIA.

OMG .... plz dont ... we dutchies can not look @ you stats anymore

[LAURENU2]

OMG .... plz dont ... we dutchies can not look @ you stats anymore

I do not think Jeff has anything to do with our Free-DC Stats
So you dutchies are safe

[Jeff]

I do not think Jeff has anything to do with our Free-DC Stats
So you dutchies are safe

Oh no, it's just for my personal email server.

And I've done the "ban 75.*.*.*" thing for around 40 to 50 IP addresses and the spam that makes it through SPAMCOP is now down to 3 or 4 a day.

Now hopefully no body I know moves to .nl, .tw, .ru.

[LAURENU2]

I HaTe Spamer's, looking at my spam log Spamfighter caught and filtered 35,405 Spams in 1 year for me
Thats is Sad Thats is Vary Sad indeed
Is there a way that DC-ing could help fight Spam

[IronBits]

There is an organization to assist in this...
http://www.honeynet.org/misc/project.html

[LAURENU2]

And there right in my back yard to. Thanks IB

Does not all the Email get routed through a NSA Server to get filtered for Key words?
If so Then Why can't the Gov Put a Stop or at least slow the flood of spam. They could get the Intel from that.

[Jeff]

Down to about 1 or 2 SPAMs per day... and those are usually from dynamic IPs here in the USA.

The mail server is busy as heck though. Seems like most times I look at it's processing log, there are 5-10 email attempts per 5 minute period... that's a heck-a-lot of SPAM imho!

[jasong]

And there right in my back yard to. Thanks IB

Does not all the Email get routed through a NSA Server to get filtered for Key words?
If so Then Why can't the Gov Put a Stop or at least slow the flood of spam. They could get the Intel from that.

The NSA is, by it's nature, a non-profit, and paid for with taxes. I think there'd be a lot of complaints about this use of the taxes from people who don't use email.