Rate Limiting as an Anti-Spam Tool

In an eWeek Opinion article, Larry Seltzer suggests that ISPs need to start putting a cap on the number of e-mail messages sent by users -- a policy that would leave nearly all users unaffected but would be a powerful deterrent for spammers.

"There are a number of reasons why I'm not so worried about this. One of them is that ISPs, at least consumer ISPs, will need to begin limiting the number of e-mail messages sent by users. This is one of those policies that will leave 99-something percent of all users unaffected but generate extreme rage among the others."



"(ISP's should) set a rate limit for outbound mail for consumer accounts. There are systems available to enforce it. And it would be yet another sign to users whose computers have been taken over that they need to clean them out."

I happen to agree with this philosophy. It cuts the spam off at the source, the head as you will, and you don't have to chase the tail all over hell and back with numerous spam detection filters and complicated algorithms. It is simplistic and easy to detect, and just as easy to shut down.



Basicly put, if a person allows their machine to get infected and send this spam out ... they should clean their machine up. Why should the rest of us have to suffer for their stupidity (or ignorance).



Now the trick is to get all the ISP's to adopt such an action -- unanimously.