On 2/14/2017 4:04 PM, Rich Braun wrote:
Suddenly, this morning my primary email address apparently found its way onto
that [spam] list. ...
Apparently this new spammer has figured out a way to get past the RBLs and
SpamAssassin filters that I've had a lot of success with in the past.
Is this a sudden new/widespread problem, or did I just get unlucky with the
combination of my email addresses and the (now fairly old) spam-control
software I've been using?
We're all finding out just how tough it is to overcome the "Defender's
Dilemma": when protecting a castle or a home or an inbox, there are
always weaknesses we can't afford to cover. The spammers have now put
sucker-bait ads on Craigslist and other "free" venues, advertising
sought-after goods for low prices, and then they harvest the addresses
of anyone who responds. There are also frequent leaks from commercial
companies that sell their old customer lists, and "affiliated" marketing
done by well-known web site owners. As the spam industry gains
experience, money, and programming expertise, we can expect less and
less help from "one size fits all" applications or services.
I've stopped using my "primary" email address anywhere I don't have to^1
. I forward everything through my own server, and if any one address
picks up spam, I just delete it. Having the server helps in other ways,
too: I can send inquiries to ads on Craigslist without worrying about
where the return address will be copied to, and it's trivial to block
any IP address that's outside the range of countries I usually
correspond with. Of course, that's a bit much for anyone still working
full-time, but it's a viable solution for me.
Until there's a FUSSP, we'll have to keep patching newly found
back-doors that bypass the moats around our various castles.
Bill Horne
1. bill at horne etc is OK here on discuss because the Mailman server
auto-obfuscates addresses in the archives. So far, it's an effective
measure, but of course I'll have to abandon the address if it gets on
too many spam lists.
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