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Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:23:15 GMT From: Paul Ferguson <fergdawg@netzero.net> Subject: Re: How to Handle ISPs Who Turn a Blind Eye to Criminal Activity?
[ ... ] Sometimes I think to myself that "...ISPs have Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policies, so they have the scope and tools they need to boot a 'customer" who break the rules."
But all too often, it would appear, the potential loss of revenue seems to win out over enforcing those policies.
This is something most CSIRTs/CERTs/Abuse/Security people run into. At some point they will have an issue with an entity they're providing service to that management will veto. In most cases having a good chat with management about it, before they're sweet-talked too much by the other side helps getting your point across, or - in business terms - makes it managements responsability. I've seen various scenarios played out like that, and others where the "license to disconnect" was squarely backed by management.
And as you say, if the ISP boots them, they just set up shop elsewhere.
Although I try to educate, this is a matter of life on the Internet.
So, back to my original question: If you alert an ISP that "bad and possibly criminal" activity is taking place by one of their customer, and they do not take corrective action (even after a year), what do you do?
Well, depends on the level of information and your contacts in the operational / security field. Being a member of an NREN CSIRT I can either directly or indirectly participate in local, regional and worldwide bodies where people "like us" come together. How that plays out, or how you *want* that to play out, is something you cannot predict. But sometimes other people will have advise about whom to contact within Law Enforcement, other people will chime in, other people have direct contact with clueful people etc. But first and foremost; you try to protect my constituents. (through technical, legal, procedural etc. means) Kind regards, JP Velders -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.2 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFHEiu0IHoRBHmf0YQRAnI/AKCQ2ZXCrWqXhNRFPWyW7XLjzbrn/gCfaXYY Ae24xpME0Q+hjU5tRRfie8g= =5JJH -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----