The Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) has been testing its members' compliance through test messages to their registered “abuse addresses”.
ISPA explains that it is imperative for every Internet service provider (ISP) to have a working abuse address when it comes to reporting spam, phishing attacks, and general network problems.
“The abuse address is a global Internet standard. Of course, having a working address is pointless unless the ISPs have someone actively monitoring them. ISPA takes such a requirement very seriously.”
The association says that having a working abuse address is part of its Code of Conduct. It is for this reason it has been sending out test messages to members' registered abuse address and then tracking the responses.
Response in seconds
“The code states that our members must not send or promote the sending of unsolicited bulk e-mail, and must take reasonable measures to ensure their networks are not used by others for this purpose,” says ISPA GM Ant Brooks.
“Additionally, the code insists ISPA members must provide a facility for dealing with complaints regarding unsolicited bulk e-mail and unsolicited commercial communications, originating from their networks. They are also required to react expeditiously to complaints received.”
He says the tests were conducted across ISPA's core membership base of about 180 organisations.
“The good news was that a large number of ISPA's members proved to be extremely responsive to abuse reports. Some 66 members responded within an hour, and half of those within five minutes. The fastest respondent took a mere six seconds to act on the abuse mail,” he notes.
Member fail
However, he adds that the test also uncovered some problems with certain members.
“We discovered that 19 members have not registered valid abuse addresses, while the mail bounced for a further 17. A significant number of members also failed to respond to the abuse test mail, even after a week.”
Brooks says those member ISPs that failed the initial test have been informed they must improve their service dramatically.
The organisation says it will soon conduct a further round of testing, which will focus on those members who did not perform adequately during the first test.
Fighting spam
In an earlier effort against spam, ISPA identified and listed SA's top spammers, in an effort to cut down the significant growth generation of local spam.
The industry body's hall of shame was first initiated two years ago to assist South African consumers to effectively manage local unsolicited bulk e-mail, or what ISPA defines as spam.
However, instead of fewer spammers listed, the list keeps growing with fewer spammers being removed.
According to policy governing the listing, new spammers are added when they meet the listing criteria. They are removed when no further spam has been received, or when they return a signed undertaking to observe best practice in the sending of commercial e-mail.
Share
