Consumer Watch: Are You Helping a Spammer?

Covering Their Tracks

What's in it for spammers? Protection against efforts to shut them down. As the pressure to stop unsolicited messages increases, ISPs are closing spammers' accounts more quickly. So spammers are routing their e-mail through computers owned by unsuspecting Net users, making it almost impossible to track down and stop the real "herbal Viagra" sellers.

Though the junk mailers get a new lease on life, the people whose systems they use get nothing but trouble. You could end up on a blacklist and have your legitimate e-mail messages blocked by ISPs trying to stop the spread of spam. You'll probably get a stern talking-to from your ISP and have to change some network settings to safeguard your system. And it's possible your system could be damaged by the spammer's use of your network, processor, and drives.

In many cases, spammers gain access to individual systems by taking advantage of open relays or open proxies, which are basically security vulnerabilities in your mail server or in the software that allows several PCs to share an Internet link. Here's how open relays and proxies work:

When you send e-mail on a secure mail server, such as that of an established ISP, the server checks your password or IP address to make sure you're an authorized user before sending your mail. In an open relay (also known as a third-party or insecure relay), the mail server will process any e-mail message, regardless of whether it's to or from an authorized user. A spammer who acquires the IP address of an insecure mail server can simply tell the server to send junk to any user on any mail server at any domain.

Most users don't have to worry much about open relays, as long as they're using an established ISP with secure servers. If you're not sure about your service provider, check its Web site or contact the support department; ISPs should always provide publicly accessible policies that outline their security precautions.

But if either you or your business is running its own mail server, you could be at risk of having an open relay. Check with the maker of your mail server software to be sure that your server is properly and securely configured.