Subject: Re: [Asrg] 4. Survey of Solutions - Methods of Authentication -Trojans]

From: Fridrik Skulason <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 09:00:33 +0000

> If anyone think spammers will move en masse to trojan systems to continue
> their habit, I believe they are sadly mistaken.

I wouldn't be too sure about that.  I am looking at this problem from a
anti-virus/anti-trojan perspective, and what I am seeing is the establisnment
of several networks of "zombies", used for spam-related purposes - not
only spamming, but also DoS attacks on anti-spam sites.

The connection between spammers and compromised machines is becoming 
clearer and clearer.

The spammers that just buy spam software from companies like www.saurabh.info, 
www.marketing-2000.net, www.massmailsoftware.com or other similar companies
do not use the zombie nets, that's true...you have to look elsewhere,
for example at the spammers with connections to the Russian criminal 
underground.

I am not sure how high the percentage of spam from zombie machines is,
but it is growing...that much is certain.

-- 
Fridrik Skulason   Frisk Software International   phone: +354-540-7400
Author of F-PROT   E-mail: [email-masked]       fax:   +354-540-7401

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From: "Chris" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 23:03:55 +1030

> but it is growing...that much is certain.

Yes it is growing, but will it ever reach the proportions of todays mass
mailing?

I sincerley doubt it. not even 100th of todays spam

the other problem is that in effect we can never stop compromised machines
therefore we can never stop spam. so should we give up?

We currently have spammers who have an open system. they can get bulkmail
software from anywhere.

But to trojan a machine to send spam. no way that becomes a federal crime,
and today I believe it can be even classed as an act of terrorism.

FIRST lets close the open system, not keep on thinking of reasons to boo hoo
legitimate ideas.

then rename the ASRG to the ATRG (Anti Trojan Research group)

Chris

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]]On Behalf Of
> Fridrik Skulason
> Sent: 1 December 2003 7:31 PM
> To: [email-masked]
> Subject: Re: [Asrg] 4. Survey of Solutions - Methods of Authentication
> -Trojans]
>
>

---

From: Yakov Shafranovich <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 08:52:44 -0500

This issues has been raised before. It is out of the scope of our group 
to consider how to solve the problem with zombies or trojans. While 
there are some proposals (MTA MARK) that address the issue, it is 
addresses within the realm of dealing with spam.

Yakov

Chris wrote:
>>>If anyone think spammers will move en masse to trojan systems
>>
>>to continue
>>
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Yakov Shafranovich / asrg <at> shaftek.org
SolidMatrix Technologies, Inc. / research <at> solidmatrix.com
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" (Lord 
Acton)
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