Subj : Re: What a load of FUD about computers
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Minderbinder
Date : Tue Dec 28 2004 04:49 am

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 20:48:38 -0600, Randy McLaughlin wrote:
> 
> I am on a dialup account and most of the time no problem but other times
> I get a huge number of attacks.  I usually use windoze and I run norton
> internet security.  Most of the attacks come from the pacific rim, I
> wish we had a way of turning off access to areas that are in effect
> outlaw. The Chinese and other Asian governments do nothing to stop these
> hackers and SPAMmers and that is the biggest problem.
> 

Ah, so the USA should be turning off access to... itself! Speaking of
outlaws and ineffective governance (can anyone say "corporate
interests"?), allow me to quote an article titled "US leads the dirty
dozen spammers":

"The United States is in a league of its own when it comes to sending junk
mail to email users.
Researchers at security company Sophos found after scanning its global
network of honeypots ... that 42 percent of all spam sent this year came
from the United States."

"this is evidence that America's anti-spam legislation simply isn't
working."

"The results came in as follows:

United States: 42.11 percent
South Korea: 13.43 percent
China (including Hong Kong): 8.44 percent Canada: 5.71 percent
Brazil: 3.34 percent
Japan: 2.57 percent
France: 1.37 percent
Spain: 1.18 percent
United Kingdom: 1.13 percent
Germany: 1.03 percent
Taiwan: 1.0 percent
Mexico: 0.89 percent"

These are all the latest 2004 figures. Read the full text for yourself at:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/networks/0,39020345,39182240,00.htm

Sure, there are plenty of non-spam related attacks (portscan/hacking
attempts, viruses etc.) coming from China, where the state is reluctant to
crack down on naughty ISPs, but the large majority of malware (especially
spyware and SPAM) still comes from, and is spread by insecure computers
in, the USA. Not to mention that Microsoft Windows, a major component in
the spread of malware and zombie relays, is an American product - one
whose monopoly the US government works hard to protect.

As for filtering network traffic by geographical region, you can do that
for yourself using your personal firewall if you feel the need to do so.

Regards,
Minderbinder.

.