AU retailer loses Web host after spam attack - News - Communications

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This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
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AU retailer loses Web host after spam attack

By Patrick Gray, 0
May 13, 2003
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/AU-retailer-loses-Web-host-after-spam-attack/0,130061791,120274449,00.htm

A Queensland based computer retailer has had its Web-site hosting pulled by its provider, after being slated as "spammers" by frustrated ISP administrators.

The retailer, Queensland Computer Company, has been sending unsolicited bulk e-mail marketing material since at least October last year. The managing director of its hosting provider iExec, Steve Robinson, told ZDNet Australia that his company didn't want to be associated with the marketing practice.

"The Web site hosting for queenslandcomputer.com.au has been withdrawn as of yesterday," he said. "Basically it was the association with spamming which was enough to lead to the withdrawal of service... even though they weren't using our equipment [to spam with]".

Analysis of the unsolicited messages by ZDNet Australia has revealed Queensland Computer Company used several dial-up Internet accounts to send them. They hawked everything from anti-virus scanning software to complete computer systems.

On October 3, 6 and 22, the company used mail servers belonging to iPrimus to send the messages. More recently, Froggy Internet was been used as a relay for the marketing material.

At least one ISP administrator has complained that more recent "spam" from the company was originating from a Telstra mail server.

Anti-spam company Spamtrap has blocked the messages originating from the Bigpond network, describing them as "completely unsolicited", and clearly classifiable as spam.

The company's chief executive, Andrew Kent, says iExec has done the right thing.

"I'm fully supportive of their approach," he told ZDNet Australia. "I think most of the public are really against getting unsolicited e-mail".

The queenslandcomputer.com.au domain name is currently re-directing to another Web site, Xpress Solutions Online. This is set to change though--the name is being hosted by iExec, and Robinson says they're about to pull the plug.

"That should be taken care of shortly," he said.

Although this type of marketing material has been vehemently defended by groups such as the Australian Direct Marketing Association, new laws are set to be introduced in Australia which may result in the senders of these types of promotional messages finding themselves on the wrong side of the law.