SMTP authentication for broadband providers

["Dan Ellis" <ellis () corp ptd net>]

Greetings,

We're a medium sized regional MSO/broadband provider with 200k+
mailboxes, strongly considering enabling SMTP authentication on our
customer-facing SMTP mail servers.  We feel this is the next logical
step to minimize our users UCE/virus impact (we already tarpit, virus
scan, UCE scan, subscribe to RBL's, reject prior to SMTP close).  

 

 

I'm looking for comments on whether this is generally seen as a positive
change or a waste of time (ie - will the next virus or worm gleam your
SMTP username and password from Outlook Express and use it to
replicate/SPAM)?  

 

 

Is anyone aware of any well known mail clients that do not support SMTP
authentication (Unix, Windows or Mac)?

 

Thanks in advance.

  --Dan

 

--

Daniel Ellis, CTO, PenTeleData

(610)826-9293

 

    "The only way to predict the future is to invent it."

                                                  --Alan Kay