nanog mailing list archives

Re: Scanning the Internet for Vulnerabilities Re: 202207232217.AYC


From: "Abraham Y. Chen" <aychen () avinta com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2022 22:28:15 -0400

Hi, John:

1) "... i.e. we’re instead going to engage in the worlds longest running game of “whack-a-mole” by just blocking their last known website/mail server/botnet and the wishing for the best… ":

Perhaps it is time for us to consider the "Back to the Future" strategy, i.e., the Internet should practice static IP address like all traditional communication system did?

Regards,

Abe (2022-07-23 22:27 EDT)


On 2022-06-22 10:35, John Curran wrote:
Barry -

    There is indeed a metaphor to your “rattling doorknobs", but it’s
    not pretty when it comes to the Internet…

    If you call the police because someone is creeping around your
    property checking doors and windows for
    possible entry, then they will indeed come out and attempt to
    arrest the perpetrator (I am most certainly
    not a lawyer, but as I understand it even the act of opening an
    unlocked window or door is sufficient in many
    jurisdictions to satisfy the “breaking the seal of the property”
    premise and warrant charging under breaking
    and entering statues.)

    Now welcome to the Internet…  paint all your windows black, remove
    all lighting save for one small bulb
    over your front entry.   Sit back and enjoy the continuous sounds
    of rattling doorknobs and scratching at
    the windows.

    If/when you find a digital culprit creeping around inside the
    home, your best option is burn down the place
    and start anew with the copies you keep offsite in storage
    elsewhere.   Similarly if you find a “trap” (e.g.,
    a phishing email) placed on your patio or amongst your mail…
    discard such cautiously and hope your
    kids use equal care.

    “Best practice” for handling these situations on the Internet is
    effectively to cope as best you can despite
    being inundated with attempts – i.e. most Internet security
    professionals and law enforcement will tell you
    that the idea of actually trying to identify and stop any of the
    culprits involved is considered rather quaint
    at best – i.e. we’re instead going to engage in the worlds longest
    running game of “whack-a-mole” by just
    blocking their last known website/mail server/botnet and the
    wishing for the best…


Enjoy your Internet!
/John

Disclaimers:  My views alone - use, reuse, or discard as desired.
                      This message made of 100% recycled electrons.

On 22 Jun 2022, at 12:04 AM, bzs () theworld com wrote:


When I lock the doors etc to my home I'll often mutter "ya know, if
someone is rattling my door knob I already have a big problem."

I suppose when I'm home it might give me a warning if I hear it.

There must be a metaphor in there somewhere.

I do recall as a teen noticing that one of the closed store's on the
main drag's door was unlocked late one night walking home (this was in
NYC.)

I saw a cop and told him and he scolded me angrily for rattling door
knobs, I could be arrested for that! But verified it, looked around
inside with his flashlight, and called it in.

I forget how I noticed but I wasn't in the habit of rattling stores'
door knobs, I think the door was just a bit ajar.

There must be a metaphor in there somewhere.

On June 21, 2022 at 10:01 mpalmer () hezmatt org (Matt Palmer) wrote:
On Mon, Jun 20, 2022 at 02:18:30AM +0000, Mel Beckman wrote:
When researchers, or whoever, claim their scanning an altruistic service, I ask them if they would mind someone coming to their home and trying to
open all the doors and windows every night.

If there were a few hundred people with nefarious intent trying to open your doors and windows every night, someone doing the same thing with altruistic
intent might not be such a bad thing.

- Matt

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       -Barry Shein

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