0:T  -  The  ACSA Zero Tolerance for SPAM+ Initiative
is also the
0:T  -  The ACSA Zero Tolerance for Ad/Spyware Initiative

It is the year 2005: 80% of your eMail could be SPAM... we have a radical solution for a disastrous problem: the SPAM/VIRUS/MALICIOUS SOFTWARE PLAGUE -  the 0:T Project.  We empathize with everyone's desire for a cheap, abundant way to advertise.  But SPAM and Ad/Spyware are not the way.

Today, according to SPAM monitors and blocking agents such as Appriver.com, Spam Assassin, Clean Mail, Qurb and others, nearly 80% of all email sent throughout the world is SPAM email.  Here is a recent readout of the most common sources of SPAM and of the composition of SPAM found by Appriver.com, a leading provider of SPAM/VIRUS filtering services: 

We at the ACSA's Network Security Analysis Group, believe that the solution to SPAM  and SPYWARE/MALWARE/ADWARE requires a twofold approach.

1) Management or Blockage (MoB). 

As SPAM is prevented by various software solution firms, like APPRIVER, they report statistics including the top SPAM source / VIRUS source IP Addresses, the top ISPs whose networks originate SPAM and the top viruses, as well as the most common forms of SPAM.  By organizing the Network Providers and Hosting Companies, ACSA has developed a series of tools that providers and hosting firms can use to bottle the source of SPAM and VIRUSes, and by careful action, insure that the original sources themselves are BLOCKED at the point of origin.

To participate in the 0:T Project, companies can assign a Role individual and email 0Tjoin@acsa.net. 

Some of the steps used by the 0:T Project include-

  - Contacting ISPs to police the highest volume sources of SPAM and VIRUSes by Email and intruder and providing information that can help them blockade same.

  -  Publishing Statistics for the Public hoping to encourage ISPs who are common sources of SPAM and Viruses to adapt tools designed to filter out SPAM and VIRUS plagues.

  -  Continuing to develop tools to filter and block SPAM and VIRUSes and continuing support for the 0:T RAMP Protocol and eMTrust system to block and eliminate SPAM.

  -    Working with the Criminal Authorities to prosecute offenders who FLOOD target mail servers for illicit reasons.

  -    Working with the anti-Virus and anti-Spam software companies to keep ahead of the crest of the SPAM and VIRUS PLAGUE.

  -    Working with the Criminal Authorities to prosecute offenders who create and distribute VIRUS and MALICIOUS software.

2) Bid/Join eMail Trust Database (eMTrust)

Every user of eMail has knowledge regarding who he or she would want to receive email from.  Over the years at ACSA, we've evolved a method that foolproofs the ability to prevent reception of SPAM. It involves the use of an electronically automated protocol that is used by eMail Agents, and Administrative Management Domains, to maintain an eMail Trust Database for each eMail account they manage.

An eMail Trust Database is a list of accepted subscriptions granted to senders by someone who possesses a Mailbox.  Any eMail received when not found in the eMTrust is placed into either the "1st Timer" category, "Repeat Requestor" category, or "Denied" category.

1st Timers are presented to the recipient whenever they log in, whereupon they approve those they recognize, request more information from those they don't but might be interested in, or deny any who they simply don't want.

Repeat Requestors are similar to 1st Timers, but after some number of attempts, are automatically placed into the "Denied" category, whereupon their further requests are treated as Junk eMail and placed into the Junk eMail box, rather than the inbox.

"Denied" email and Requesters is placed into the Junk eMail box (headers in a short form) and are sorted into a subcategory of "previously denied".

The 0:T Protocol would be used to establish background dialogs between Requestors and Inbox owners, which would provide each approved 1st timer or Repeat Requestor their own unique encrypted one-way key for use with each person's approved Inbox.  By implementation of eMTrust at the Mail Server level for Pop3 and SMTP, a crucial authentication/verification Trust approval method can be maintained automatically by the sending mailer and the receiving mailer.  This 0:T Protocol is called "Reliable Approved Mail Protocol" (RAMP) and a copy of its specification for use by Developers is available by emailing "RAMP@ACSA.net".  Of course, infection by proxy can take place where an accepted sender themselves send out infected eMail bearing a virus or malicious software downloader.  Filtering systems such as AVG, SPYSWEEPER, MICROSOFT ANTISPYWARE and ZONE ALARM Personal Firewall are recommended. 

CONCLUSION

We strongly invite membership in the initiative, and contribution to the overall 0:T Project.  The consequences of our efforts to simply contact the top sources of SPAM and VIRUS / MALICIOUS SOFTWARE on the web has, in only a month, resulted in a nearly 5% decline in SPAM and VIRUS propagation, as these companies move quickly to stem the tide.

As more sophisticated methods evolve to try and penetrate protocols such as eMTrust, ACSA will continue to evolve its robustness and measures for halting the invasion of SPAM, VIRUSes and MALICIOUS Software. And, simultaneously, the initiative for convincing companies whose networks allow sources of these infestations to emerge on their IP addresses, will be expanded, along with publicity intended to encourage them to take steps to bring about the elimination of the offending sources and where appropriate: to prosecute the offenders creating Viruses and Malicious software.

For more information about joining, mail us at 0Tjoin@acsa.net.  All spam sent to this email address may result in criminal prosecution.