Once again, the terrorists win. :(

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

If YOU are reading this and are a spammer, I want things to happen to you that I won't say because saying them would get me in prison. Use your imagination.*

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70913-0.html?tw=rss.index

Under Attack, Spam Fighter Folds
By Ryan Singel
19:30 PM May, 16, 2006

A startup whose aggressive antispam measures drew a blistering counterattack from spammers two weeks ago that brought down the company's servers along with a wide swath of the internet is shuttering its program that targets junk e-mailers.

In an interview with Wired News, Blue Security CEO Eran Reshef said the Israel-based company was closing its service Wednesday since he did not want to be responsible for an ever-escalating war that could bring down internet service providers and websites around the world and subject its users to denial-of-service attacks from a well-organized group in control of a massive army of computer drones. (...)

The abrupt decision ends a high-profile standoff between spammers and a tiny startup whose unorthodox methods had seemingly stymied some of the most prolific purveyors of junk e-mail in the world, if only temporarily. For a few intense days, the fight showed with shocking clarity the lengths to which some spammers will go to protect their businesses, and the devastating arsenals at their command.

The lesson to be learned, Reshef said, is that large ISPs and governments need to recognize that spammers are connected to criminal syndicates and that they, not a small startup, are the only ones who can shut down these networks.

Blue Security's 500,000 users had been successful in convincing six of the top 10 spam operations in the world to use its open-source mailing-list scrubber, which Reshef said proved that Blue Security's technology and approach was effective.

But other spammers responded differently. (more at link)

(*) I may make an exception for those six who played nice with Bluesecurity.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. Too bad we can't treat spammers like drug kingpins

How RICO does not apply, I will never understand.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. There's a lot of overlap there. -nt

[ArbustoBuster]

10. RICO does apply, if you can catch them.

The computer community has known for a while that spammers often have contacts with organized crime. Heck, there was a Wired or Inquirer article about it a few years ago. The problem is getting the police involved with something that's usually in another country, and that doesn't kill anyone.

Eventually, some smart Congressman will create an imaginary link between a spammer in Russia and Chechen terrorists, and the hunt will be on...

[Coventina]

2. Yep, there's a special place in the afterlife for these guys

They'll be forced to read every one of their emails, every single one....

[Mr_Spock]

3. I am not for the death penalty but...

I'm telling you - there are times when I'd like to find these spammers and wring their necks. Burn in hell spammers!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. If there was ever a case for the Mossad to get involved, it's this one.

After all, this was a terrorist attack against an Israeli business, right?

I say go Eichmann on them.

[mdmc]

4. what are spammers?

They send unwanted emails to people from a bunch of different computers?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. Have your computer thoroughly scanned by a professional. Now. -nt

[mdmc]

6. i don't have my own computer. I've heard of spammers...

oh well,,,

[progmom]

8. grrrrrrrrrr....

:mad: