Telmex slays spam zombies
By Charles Miller

Last summer I wrote with quite some frustration about “Typhoid Mary,” the nickname I pinned on the client whose computer was infected with a “spam zombie” and who refused to do anything about it. Her contaminated computer sent out perhaps a million spam emails every week.

I told “Mary” her computer was compromised and needed attention, but she was in denial and refused to do anything about the problem and permitted her computer to continue sending out spam. Industry experts now believe that perhaps 40 percent of all spam originates from such infected computers. With thousands of zombie computers sending the junk out, it is impossible to cut off at the source, especially when you throw irresponsible users like Typhoid Mary into the mix.

Near the end of December, Telmex took action to deal with this problem. Because of all the infected customer’s computers on the system, Telmex was being inappropriately used to convey billions and billions of spam emails destined for other countries. Rather than sit on their hands, Telmex decided to take the necessary action to deal with the situation.

Telmex should be commended for acting to ensure the quality of service for users, not only here in Mexico but millions of users around the world who today are receiving fewer spam emails. Specifically, Telmex blocked access to TCP/IP port 25 which is the communications channel used to send outgoing email. This is the port abused by all the spammers. This had the effect of cutting off almost all the sources of spam in Mexico.

I have written before of how my own email inbox was hopelessly polluted with spam. It is a very rare day I receive fewer than a thousand spam emails. So far this year, I have had several days when I received only 800-900 and I would like to believe it was the bold action on the part of Telmex that contributed to this improvement.

To be sure, there were some Telmex users inconvenienced by the change because, unfortunately, the change disrupted some legitimate email along with the spam. This part of the change was a real headache for a short while, but I believe that Telmex did the best job they could under difficult circumstances.

Telmex has made available a web page where their customers may go to request that port 25 access for email be reactivated for their account. The address is “http://tinyurl.com/2bqccu.” The online process requires you identify yourself and provide numero de factura from your phone bill. This process appears well-designed to keep the spammers out.

If you have an account in good standing and you are not guilty of using your Telmex account to send out millions of unsolicited spam emails, then Telmex should unblock your account so you can once again send out emails.

If you use your own domain, as I do, then your web host or any competent IT professional can advise you on how to reactivate your email. The inconvenience of needing to do this is a small price to pay for significantly reducing spam on the internet.

Now, if we could only get Telmex to do for Nigeria what they have done for Mexico. I would be glad to have them put a stop to all those badly translated emails from the cousin of the widow of the ex-president of the Bigsucker Diamond Mining Company who promises to cut me in on some fantastic business deal if I would only give them my bank account number.

Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.