Re: [anti-spam-wg] Updated Charter Proposal

[Brian Nisbet <brian.nisbet@localhost]

Colleagues,

> First off thank you for your patience.  It's been some months since
> Berlin, but this is the first opportunity I've had to spend time on
> the charter, reviewing the transcript and audio fully to try and
> bring as many of the excellent comments together.

And on foot of this I have received a couple of comments and some
advice.  I've made some minor but important changes to the document
for your consideration.  If there are no further substantive comments
made before August 15th I would like to recommend the new Charter to
the RIPE chair.  The only question then is the coin-flip between the
two real options for a new name, the Anti-Abuse WG or simply the Abuse
WG.

The new proposed Charter:

As the Internet has evolved, the scope and scale of network abuse have 
evolved in step.  While unsolicited bulk email (spam) was previously the 
most visible form of network abuse, it is often now merely a symptom of 
much deeper abuse such as viruses or botnets.  To reflect this changing 
Internet, it was proposed at RIPE 55 that the Anti-Spam Working Group 
widen its focus to include all relevant kinds of abuse.

It is considered difficult for this charter to include an exhaustive 
list of abuse types that would be considered within the scope of this 
working group, not least because this is expected to change over time. 
However an initial list can be stated and any necessary additions can be 
made.

- SPAM via SMTP
- SPAM via VoIP (SPIT)
- SPAM via Instant Message Systems
- Webforum/blog Abuse
- All systems and mechanisms, technical and non-technical used to 
create, control and make money from such abuse.

It is important to note that areas such as cybersquatting or hosting 
illegal content are not seen to be part of the remit of the working group.

The working group would aim to tackle the issue from both the technical 
and non-technical angles:

- To produce and continue to update a Best Common Practice document for 
ISPs similar in nature to RIPE-409 but covering a wider range of 
possible abusive behaviours.

- To provide advice (beyond that of the BCP) to relevant parties within 
the RIPE region such as ISPs, Governments and Law Enforcement Agencies 
on strategic and operational matters.  It is not intended that the WG 
would become involved in individual incidents of abuse.

- To provide a forum for discussion of and disseminate information on 
technical methods of preventing or reducing network abuse.