The FTC has published its report on the Spam Summit we attended back in July of 2007. While much of the Summit focused on "malicious spammers" it gave a lot of good insight into the perception of legitimate commercial email, criminal spam and junk data. The report is important to read. We thank the FTC for their efforts and look foward to future meetings.

Online compliance covers more than CAN-SPAM for email. While the internet remains tax free, the government is making up for it with more and more regulations on how business gets done online. Check out this article from Mark Walsh on MediaPost. It’s a nice overview of recent, larger Internet related regulatory issues being considered by the US federal government.

Craig Spiezle is spearheading a powerful alliance of key corporate, association and governmental leaders to foster adoption of Authentication technologies and build Online Trust.

AOTA is building momentum in 2008 with a Board of Directors including Ross Fubini, senior director of Engineering, Messaging and Web Security, Symantec; Eric Johnson, vice president, Bank of America; Howard A. Schmidt, president & CEO of R&H Security Consulting LLC; former CSO Microsoft, CISO eBay & White House Cyber Security Advisor; Craig Spiezle, director of Internet Security & Privacy Product Management, Microsoft Corp; and Ken Takahashi, vice president, Corporate and International Development, Return Path Inc. The steering committee includes Bank of America, Box Sentry, IronPort System, division of Cisco Systems, Datran Media, Epsilon, Goodmail Systems, Habeas, Iconix, Internet Identity, Microsoft Corporation, MX Logic, Return Path and Symantec Corporation.

LashBack is a proud industry member and underwriter of AOTA. Read the press release for the most recent information on AOTA’s growth and activities. And by all means, join and participate in this critical alliance. The 2008 Authentication and Online Trust Summit will take place June 4-6, 2008 in Seattle, WA.

Many of you will recognize the first name on the DOJ indictment list, Alan Ralsky as well as you would recognize the pump and dump  stock scam spam. He alleges himself to be a legitimate commercial emailer. The FBI, Department of Justice, FTC and several other federal law enforcement agencies beg to differ.

In 2002, Ralsky settled with Verizon Internet Services for allegedly twice shutting down their networks with an overload of bulk electronic mail. In September of 2005 the FBI raided his offices and seized all of his equipment apparently as part of the investigation that brings the CAN-SPAM and other major felony charges today from the DOJ. The DOJ Press Release and Detroit News provide more details of the 31 count indictment and the 10 others charged.