SMTP authentication for broadband providers

[Dan Ellis]

Greetings, We’re a medium sized regional MSO/broadband provider with 200k+ mailboxes, strongly considering enabling SMTP authentication on our customer-facing SMTP mail servers.  We feel this is the next logical step to minimize our users UCE/virus impact (we already tarpit, virus scan, UCE scan, subscribe to RBL’s, reject prior to SMTP close).      I’m looking for comments on whether this is generally seen as a positive change or a waste of time (ie – will the next virus or worm gleam your SMTP username and password from Outlook Express and use it to replicate/SPAM)?       Is anyone aware of any well known mail clients that do not support SMTP authentication (Unix, Windows or Mac)?   Thanks in advance.   --Dan   -- Daniel Ellis, CTO, PenTeleData (610)826-9293       "The only way to predict the future is to invent it."                                                   --Alan Kay