"shoot-MX-in-foot battle"... too funny... time to draw a Harris-style cartoon...
Darin. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Len Conrad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 1:01 PM Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] Dictionary Attacks >My understanding of the definition of tarpitting is slowing down the >delivery of messages to multiple recipients...If my understanding is >correct see "delay between recipients" in the SMTP Advanced tab in IMail >Admin. If not please enlighten me to the proper mening SMTP tar-pitting means that the SMTP server artificially injects delays into its side of the SMTP dialogue (specifically, before returning SMTP response codes) with the SMTP client. The delays can be 10's of seconds or many minutes. tar-pitting is an attempt, by one MX, to "hurt" the millions of IPs that abuse MXs by slowing the abusive IPs and "wasting" their tcp sockets and SMTP sessions. In adverse effect, the most hurt is done to the MX machine server itself since it must also waste a tcp socket and a SMTP session on the MX side for eacd tarpitting action. In this shoot-MX-in-foot battle, which side has the most tcp/smtp resources to waste? A single MX or the aggregate of millions of abusvie IPs attacking it? I always recommend against tar-pitting in general. And from the large number of IMGate/Imail users have added IMGate because IMail SMTP server was unstable and incapable of supporting high-volumes of simultaneous SMTP connects, I strongly recommend against any tar-pitting by the Imail server. The great benefit of IMGate to IMail users is off-loading the DNS+SMTP-to-Internet dialogue from Imail to IMGate. Tar-pitting goes exactly in the opposite direction, loading up IMail SMTPD with more demands for tcp/smtp resources, and insanely, with no noticeable advantage, and NO pain for the attackers. Len _____________________________________________________________________ http://IMGate.MEIway.com : free anti-spam gateway, runs on 1000's of sites To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html List Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/ To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html List Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/
