VeriSign responds to complaints via press release
----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- If this was Microsoft issuing a statement like this we would really go through the roof. Since when in the Internet do we talk with technical people AFTER the fact and AFTER the disruption. In other words BULL. Can we sue them for email disruption? Dave
Delivered-To: dfarber+@ux13.sp.cs.cmu.edu Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 19:27:49 -0400 From: "Wingfield, Nick" <Nick.Wingfield@wsj.com> Subject: VeriSign update To: "'dave@farber.net'" <dave@farber.net>
Dave, In case it's of interest to IP... Nick
=WSJ: VeriSign Responds To Complaints About New Service
Dow Jones News Service via Dow Jones
By Nick Wingfield Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones)--VeriSign Inc. (VRSN), responding to an outpouring of complaints about a new service that exploits the typing errors users make when surfing the Web, said it plans to work with technologists to remedy disruptions the service has caused to some Internet applications like e-mail.
At the same time, the VeriSign service triggered a huge increase in the amount of traffic flowing to the Mountain View, Calif., company's Web site, a portion of which may be the result of a hacker attack against the company, VeriSign said.
(This story and related background material are available on the Journal's Web site, WSJ.com.)
VeriSign on Monday introduced the service, dubbed Site Finder, which steers users who attempt to reach nonexistent Web addresses to a site operated by VeriSign. The company is able to take control of the traffic because it operates the master list, or "registry," for all Internet addresses ending in ".com" and ".net."
VeriSign said it designed Site Finder as a navigational aid for Web users. It also receives revenue from the additional traffic through relationships with Overture Services Inc. (OVER) and Yahoo Inc.'s (YHOO) Inktomi, which guide users to Web sites.
The new VeriSign service infuriated many network operators, though, who say it has disrupted the functioning of e-mail and other applications. Among the complaints about the VeriSign service is that it hurts the ability of Internet service providers to block "spam" sent from Internet addresses that don't exist - a common technique normally used to stem the flow of junk e-mail. Internet service providers and software groups have developed patches that prevent the VeriSign service from working on their networks.
In a statement Tuesday, VeriSign said it would release technical information on its Web site that would help network operators adapt their software so they could block unwanted e-mail again. "In the course of implementation, various users asked us to modify the service to accommodate anti-spam applications," the company said in the statement. "Because VeriSign strongly supports appropriate technical measures designed to reduce unwanted spam, we are reaching out to users and the community to make appropriate adjustments to the service."
"We remain committed to ensuring that Site Finder improves Web navigation and the user experience," VeriSign added.
Despite the controversy, VeriSign's efforts to nab control of typo-prone Internet users appears to be having a sizable impact on the volumes of users visiting its site. Traffic to the company's Web site on Tuesday skyrocketed to about 1.3 million visitors from an average of about 100,000 visitors on the previous four Tuesdays, according to measurement firm ComScore Networks Inc.
Some of that may have been due to malicious - not typo - traffic. A VeriSign spokesman said the company experienced a "denial of service" attack on its Web site on Tuesday, in which hackers use computers to bombard Web sites with traffic in hopes of overloading them. The attack appeared to subside by Wednesday, the spokesman said. A ComScore spokesman said it's "very unlikely" that a denial of service attack on VeriSign had a significant impact on the ComScore traffic figures.
omg. So VeriSign is requiring all network operations, or the whole internet to pretty much redo their network per their "Recommendations" to allow sitefinder? That is an aggravated assault. -hc -- Sincerely, Haesu C. TowardEX Technologies, Inc. WWW: http://www.towardex.com E-mail: haesu@towardex.com Cell: (978) 394-2867 On Wed, Sep 17, 2003 at 07:40:56PM -0400, Jeff Wasilko wrote:
----- Forwarded message from Dave Farber <dave@farber.net> -----
If this was Microsoft issuing a statement like this we would really go through the roof. Since when in the Internet do we talk with technical people AFTER the fact and AFTER the disruption. In other words BULL. Can we sue them for email disruption?
Dave
Delivered-To: dfarber+@ux13.sp.cs.cmu.edu Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 19:27:49 -0400 From: "Wingfield, Nick" <Nick.Wingfield@wsj.com> Subject: VeriSign update To: "'dave@farber.net'" <dave@farber.net>
Dave, In case it's of interest to IP... Nick
=WSJ: VeriSign Responds To Complaints About New Service
Dow Jones News Service via Dow Jones
By Nick Wingfield Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones)--VeriSign Inc. (VRSN), responding to an outpouring of complaints about a new service that exploits the typing errors users make when surfing the Web, said it plans to work with technologists to remedy disruptions the service has caused to some Internet applications like e-mail.
At the same time, the VeriSign service triggered a huge increase in the amount of traffic flowing to the Mountain View, Calif., company's Web site, a portion of which may be the result of a hacker attack against the company, VeriSign said.
(This story and related background material are available on the Journal's Web site, WSJ.com.)
VeriSign on Monday introduced the service, dubbed Site Finder, which steers users who attempt to reach nonexistent Web addresses to a site operated by VeriSign. The company is able to take control of the traffic because it operates the master list, or "registry," for all Internet addresses ending in ".com" and ".net."
VeriSign said it designed Site Finder as a navigational aid for Web users. It also receives revenue from the additional traffic through relationships with Overture Services Inc. (OVER) and Yahoo Inc.'s (YHOO) Inktomi, which guide users to Web sites.
The new VeriSign service infuriated many network operators, though, who say it has disrupted the functioning of e-mail and other applications. Among the complaints about the VeriSign service is that it hurts the ability of Internet service providers to block "spam" sent from Internet addresses that don't exist - a common technique normally used to stem the flow of junk e-mail. Internet service providers and software groups have developed patches that prevent the VeriSign service from working on their networks.
In a statement Tuesday, VeriSign said it would release technical information on its Web site that would help network operators adapt their software so they could block unwanted e-mail again. "In the course of implementation, various users asked us to modify the service to accommodate anti-spam applications," the company said in the statement. "Because VeriSign strongly supports appropriate technical measures designed to reduce unwanted spam, we are reaching out to users and the community to make appropriate adjustments to the service."
"We remain committed to ensuring that Site Finder improves Web navigation and the user experience," VeriSign added.
Despite the controversy, VeriSign's efforts to nab control of typo-prone Internet users appears to be having a sizable impact on the volumes of users visiting its site. Traffic to the company's Web site on Tuesday skyrocketed to about 1.3 million visitors from an average of about 100,000 visitors on the previous four Tuesdays, according to measurement firm ComScore Networks Inc.
Some of that may have been due to malicious - not typo - traffic. A VeriSign spokesman said the company experienced a "denial of service" attack on its Web site on Tuesday, in which hackers use computers to bombard Web sites with traffic in hopes of overloading them. The attack appeared to subside by Wednesday, the spokesman said. A ComScore spokesman said it's "very unlikely" that a denial of service attack on VeriSign had a significant impact on the ComScore traffic figures.
H> Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 20:01:37 -0400 H> From: Haesu H> omg. So VeriSign is requiring all network operations, or the H> whole internet to pretty much redo their network per their H> "Recommendations" to allow sitefinder? I definitely want a piece of that $100M. ;-) It's interesting that Verisign's only [apparent] response was the press release. Do they not feel their stance will hold up on a technical list? Do they think ICANN will cave in if NetSol's stock prices go up? How come the mysterious advertising partner officially remains anonymous? Eddy -- Brotsman & Dreger, Inc. - EverQuick Internet Division Bandwidth, consulting, e-commerce, hosting, and network building Phone: +1 785 865 5885 Lawrence and [inter]national Phone: +1 316 794 8922 Wichita _________________________________________________________________ DO NOT send mail to the following addresses : blacklist@brics.com -or- alfra@intc.net -or- curbjmp@intc.net Sending mail to spambait addresses is a great way to get blocked.
participants (3)
-
E.B. Dreger -
Haesu -
Jeff Wasilko