Spam Update/Cyber Promo attacked

[Robert Hettinga]

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Mime-Version: 1.0
Date:         Wed, 7 May 1997 13:24:57 +0200
Reply-To:     Law & Policy of Computer Communications
              <CYBERIA-L at LISTSERV.AOL.COM>
Sender:       Law & Policy of Computer Communications
              <CYBERIA-L at LISTSERV.AOL.COM>
From:         Wendy Leibowitz <wendyl at LJEXTRA.COM>
Subject:      Spam Update/Cyber Promo attacked
To:           CYBERIA-L at LISTSERV.AOL.COM

While aware of the irony of sending an unsolicited message from Cyber
Promotions to a large group of people, this bulletin just arrived from our
friends at Cyber:

PHILADELPHIA, 5-7-97  Bulk e-mail giant Cyber Promotions is under attack by
"anti-spam" hackers. This concentrated attack was planned for several
weeks, and has been publicly discussed on Internet newsgroups. The hackers
are using a brand new method to deny service to all Cyber Promotions'
computers hooked to a main router on an AGIS line. The hackers have devised
a system which sends millions of random "arp" requests to a router, which
can disable the whole network for hours. This type of attack has never
occurred before. Currently thousands of businesses with web pages and mail
box accounts are being denied service.

The attack began yesterday around 4 PM Eastern, and is still occurring at
press time. But the [source of the] attack is traceable with the help of a
backbone provider and computer security specialists. The longer it occurs,
the easier it is to trace it back to the hacker. Cyber Promotions will work
in conjunction with federal authorities to prosecute the criminals.

.......

This latest attack is occurring, by no coincidence, on the same day that
Cyber Promotions, AGIS and several bulk e-mailers scheduled  a press
conference in Las Vegas to discuss the formation of a new association which
will enforce a universal "don not send" list along with many other ethical
bulk e-mail standards.
...........

It goes on, but I need to ponder the meaning of "ethical bulk e-mail
standards."

Wendy R. Leibowitz, Technology Editor
National Law Journal
345 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10010
E-mail: wendyl at ljextra.com
"Remember, even pencils break."

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-----------------
Robert Hettinga (rah at shipwright.com), Philodox
e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/