North American Network Operators Group

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Re: Any way to P-T-P Distribute the RBL lists?

  • From: Rich Braun
  • Date: Thu Sep 25 10:10:33 2003

Drew Weaver <[email protected]> inquired:
>            I know you all have probably already thought of this, but can
> anyone think of a feasible way to run a RBL list that does not have a single
> point of failure? Or any attackable entry?

Fedex.  "Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon loaded with DLT
cartridges barreling along the highway at 70mph"...

Seriously, as has already been pointed out, the distribution side of the
equation is the easy part.  Server admins can use an out-of-band technique
like ordinary dialup to get access to the blocklist.  But generating the
blocklist requires real-time reporting back to a central server.  Even if the
server is decentralized, it will still require a relatively small handful of
accessable IP addresses.

An out of band layer-2 network could be created for that at the peering
points, so as to prevent outside attack.  Probably worth doing among major
ISPs.  Wouldn't scale to end users, of course.  But end users could still
subscribe to the blocklist through periodic updates.

The other obvious thing that could be done would work pretty much like caller
ID:  create a set of SMTP enhancements that allow email recipients to accept
mail from those who have provided traceable ID to the ISPs that participate,
and who have agreed to acceptable-use policies that place strict limits on
bulk email.  Wait, hasn't that been done?  The pre-1987 ARPAnet?  Oh yeah,
we've outgrown that...

Public humiliation might also work.  Bring back the stockades so we can place
spammers out front of courthouses everywhere.  Too bad society's outgrown that
too...

-rich