Not just windows users Re: [Gllug] New worm doing the rounds?

[Bruce Richardson]

On Mon, Feb 09, 2004 at 05:26:09PM +0000, Christopher wrote:
> I get a huge number of these as well - they just seem to be yet another form 
> of spam.
> 
> The Windoze (l)users and "anti-virus software" vendors don't actually seem to 
> realise or want to understand that these silly "anti-virus" programmes simply 
> can't work - as by their nature, they have to be reactive. 

You can't just blame Windows users or admins for the useless messages.
If the mail systems that send out the Non-Delivery Receipts were
properly configured, you wouldn't be seeing these nuisance messages at
all.  At work, I have our gateway mail system configured to reject
invalid mail without accepting it for delivery wherever possible.  As a
result, all virus-laden messages and much of the spam is rejected with no
spurious NDRs being generated - at least, not by our system.

Nobody loses out, this way.  If the connecting system was legitimate, it
informs the genuine sender (usually a local user) of the rejection.  If
the connecting system was a spammer or a virus, they don't generate an
NDR.  Result.

Unfortunately, the evidence of my inbox is that there are plenty of
clueless *nix mail administrators out there, who don't know how to
configure their systems usefully.

-- 
Bruce

Remember you're a Womble.
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