New protection for ISP messaging
Detica Group, a business and technology consulting firm specialising in information intelligence, and Cloudmark Inc, the global leader in carrier-grade messaging security, today announced a technology partnership to enable transparent, high-performance outbound messaging protection for Internet service providers
The joint solution delivers unparalleled outbound spam detection and filtering for all e-mail traffic on the ISPs' network and helps service providers identify subscriber PCs that have been compromised by botnets.
Both companies are participating in this week's Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG) 11th General Meeting in Washington, D.C. This is a members-only event focused on preserving electronic messaging from online exploits and abuse while enhancing user trust and confidence and ensuring the deliverability of legitimate messages.
Announced at MAAWG, the new Cloudmark and Detica solution effectively combats the growing problem of outbound abuse, thereby keeping ISPs' network pipes clean, subscribers happy and their own brand reputations safe.
Today, of the 600 million computers currently on the Internet, it is estimated that between 100 and 150 million are already part of botnets, large groups of computers that have been compromised by professional spammers and used, without the knowledge of the PC owner, to send high volumes of spam.
The computers that are part of these botnets, called zombies, account for about 70 percent of all spam traffic sent. The high volume of spam traffic generated by botnets has created a serious problem for both receiving and sending ISPs. ISPs that unwittingly transport abusive messages face blacklisting, which impacts subscriber satisfaction and their brand reputation.
Previously, ISPs were unable to detect or filter all abusive outbound traffic because e-mails sent through botnets are usually sent directly to the Internet without going through the ISPs' mail transfer agents (MTAs). In the past, the only way to stop outbound spam was by closing "Port 25", a port used to send e-mail, and requiring sender authentication. This process is extremely costly for service providers and can create a poor user experience for subscribers.
