Spamtrap
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Spamtrap
A spamtrap is a
honeypot used to collect
spam.
Spamtraps are usually e-mail
addresses that are created not for communication, but rather to lure spam. In
order to prevent legitimate email from being invited, the e-mail address will
typically only be published in a location hidden from view such that an
automated e-mail address harvester (used by spammers) can find the email
address, but no sender would be encouraged to send messages to the email address
for any legitimate purpose.
Since no e-mail is solicited by the owner of this spamtrap e-mail address,
any e-mail messages sent to this address are immediately considered unsolicited.
The term is composed of the common words "spam" and "trap", because a spam
analyst will lay out spamtraps to catch wild spam in the same way that a fur
trapper lays out traps to catch wild animals.
Who originally coined this term is unknown, but several competing anti-spam
organizations claim trademark over it.
Usenet
A spamtrap can also be a Usenet newsgroup whose sole purpose is to lure
cross-posted spam. For example, the alt.sex.cancel newsgroup charter states that
any article posted there may be cancelled immediately. Thus, a spammer who
cross-posts an article to the entire alt.sex.* hierarchy, including alt.sex.cancel, will find that article is
quickly cancelled.
Industry uses
An untainted spamtrap can continue to collect samples of unsolicited messages
that can be acted on by an automated anti-spam system. The automated system
could instantly block any further e-mail messages with the same content,
arriving for other e-mail addresses, because the messages would then be
considered as bulk unsolicited e-mail, the typical definition of spam.
Automation is considered "safe" because no legitimate email messages should be
arriving to the spamtrap address.
A spamtrap becomes tainted when a third party discovers what the spamtrap
e-mail address is being used for. Once this occurs, the third party could target
the spamtrap by maliciously sending email to it or subscribing it to legitimate
e-mail, giving the third party some control over the automated process of what
is being considered bulk unsolicited e-mail by the anti-spam system.
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