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Spamhaus on "The Problem of Snowshoe spam"


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I'm of two minds here, since I have registered my name through proxy provided by my registrar -- precisely because I don't feel like getting spammed at the registrant addresses (I'm guessing my registrar gets spammed in my place).

Just so; the difference is that you (rick) opt to register domains anonymously, and your reasons are presumably righteous. Such registrations don't default to anonymous. Your registrar (or even ISP) has the opportunity (obligation?) to verify contact info for legitimately 'protected' domain registrations.

WRT your comment [at] ICANN, my researches suggest this verification process can be automated to handle/ confirm all but the really dedicated fraudsters. Those characters, such as those hunkering in China like <fedoqog dot cn>, won't pass muster in the auto-confirmation process. They, and those who naively flub the application process, can get passed on for human processing.

The PDF indicates that 15 to 25 per cent of 2400 random domains sampled used proxy registrants.

If registrars revert to publishing whois info as default and providing an anonymous registration option, there won't be such a need for proxy registrations.

I'm not sure for what purpose ICANN is interested in this info, the paper does not seem to say. If it is for enforcement, then I could sign up to that, but why not first crack down on the registrars who don't even bother to post enough WHOIS data to let you figure out if the registration is proxy in the first place?

I'd be very surprised if I've been the only one complaining to CIRA et al, CAUCE et al, and ICANN et al about this 'neo-whois' policy. Either those who have been advocating it haven't thought it through or there are actors behind the scenes who are playing them (and us) for fools; or both.

Just today, 2 good reasons for tightening up domain registrations came across my desk.

The first, by technology review cites the mebroot virus, and the second cites the phishing attempts against hotmail subscribers. The profitability of either of these attacks would be significantly reduced if it were harder for bad actors to get domains registered fraudulently. Info gathered by crooks has to have someplace (domain) to go where they can get it, and/or get paid.

http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/23566/page1/

http://www.infopackets.com/news/security/2...f_passwords.htm

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Such registrations don't default to anonymous. Your registrar (or even ISP) has the opportunity (obligation?) to verify contact info for legitimately 'protected' domain registrations.
Did I miss something? It was my understanding that
  1. All reigstrants are required to provide "accurate and reliable" contact info for WHOIS;
  2. Registrars are bound to ensure that they do so, pursuant to the registrants' accreditation agreements with ICANN (my registrar hits me once a year or so to confirm my details); and,
  3. A registrant can register through a proxy, but the proxy then agrees to meet all the obligations of the registrant (including providing contact info and being responsible to answer contacts made).

Did something or other change with one of these three? These seem like perfectly good and enforceable policies, why aren't they being enforced?

-- rick

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Did I miss something? It was my understanding that
  1. All reigstrants are required to provide "accurate and reliable" contact info for WHOIS;

Did something or other change with one of these three? These seem like perfectly good and enforceable policies, why aren't they being enforced?

Rule 1 ALL Spammers Lie

ICANN have always had a problem in dealing with this

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