Sidebar

Understanding TEOS: Taking the Sting out of Spam

Commentary
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote in this column that the problems of spam cannot be resolved without addressing the underlying security issues of SMTP and POP3 protocols. A number of readers agreed, but they wondered what could possibly be done to fix those security holes.

Meanwhile, the furor over email spam--unsolicited commercial email--continues to inflame the public, culminating this month with a meeting of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in Washington specifically devoted to the problem. At that meeting, ePrivacy Group, a privately held company based in Philadelphia, presented a white paper on a new standard called Trusted Email Open Standard (TEOS) that is receiving a lot of positive attention by lawmakers and technologists.

The white paper, entitled "Trusted Email Open Standard: A Comprehensive Policy and Technology Proposal for Email Reform" examines the social, economic, and technological conditions that are fueling the current proliferation of email spam on the Internet and offers a technical standard--along with best practices in implementation--to Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) to eliminate the problem.

What Is TEOS?

But what exactly is TEOS, and how does it change the way email might be sent? Will it remedy the problem of email spam? How might it be implemented--and by whom--over the next couple of years? Finally, what impact will TEOS have over your email infrastructure, and what might the costs be to implement the standard after it has reached maturity?

TEOS is a proposed standard that describes best practices for the implementation of SMTP, an automated mechanism for enforcing those standards, and an oversight board to maintain and distribute rules governing email transmissions. Its primary focus is to provide security in the transmission and the receipt of email communications.

ePrivacy Group divides the requirements for TEOS into three increasing levels of security:

  • Sender Identity Level 1 provides a standard minimum accountability to vouchsafe the identity of the sender.
  • Sender Identity Level 2 identifies the sender, identifies the message type, asserts a relationship with the recipient, and provides a standardized opt-out methodology.
  • Sender Identity Level 3 identifies the sender and the message type, identifies the relationship with the recipient, provides trusted means of opting out, delivers a security certificate, envisions an oversight authority, and provides a dispute resolution mechanism.

Each level envisioned in the open standard is scaled to the requirements of email security to address the issue of spam, while also providing optional features (called "optional assertions") designed for custom and future potential requirements.

Noteworthy Features

There are three noteworthy features of this proposed standard. The first is that it addresses the issue of spam from a functional perspective and has scaled its response to the needs of all the users of email. For instance, at the base tier or Level 1, the proposal provides a means of ensuring that the sender's identity from a particular domain is, in fact, not bogus.

It also provides various "optional assertions" to allow the recipient to classify email received. For example, advertisements would be so marked, communications from a government agency would be verifiable through the certificate, and business-to-business communications could be identified.

How does it accomplish this?

TEOS sees identity verification, through the use of identification certificates, as an absolute base-level requirement and then proposes to build upon that security. Levels 2 and 3 provide reinforced security layers--with other optional assertions--to create an infrastructure of communications to meet a whole spectrum of requirements for private, business, and government security communications.

This approach transcends the current public uproar about "garbage communication" and positions TEOS as a real, comprehensive solution to a whole array of security issues that have yet to be addressed in email. It is not a "one size fits all" or "quick fix" solution; instead, it tries to be a measured, engineered security implementation designed to resolve current and potential abuses of email security.

An Additive Approach

The second noteworthy feature of this standard is its applicability to the current implementations of SMTP. The TEOS proposal understands the basic dilemma of today's Internet email infrastructure: How can email be cured of spam without killing the "killer app" of the Internet?

In fact, it is the simplicity of SMTP that has earned email the moniker of the killer app. Creating an email communication is simple: External files can be attached and transmitted, workflow systems can be built around the messages (e.g., Lotus Notes/Domino databases), and nearly every operating system in the world can make use of it. As a result, SMTP has become a sacred cow, and no one dares to impugn or exchange this workhorse of data transmission protocols.

However, the security of the current SMTP standard is spectacularly porous. It is a protocol designed to allow data to be exchanged between senders, servers, and recipients. As such, it is the barest envelope describing a transmission of data between two or more machines. This makes SMPT extremely versatile but also exceptionally susceptible to abuse by spammers.

So how does TEOS replace SMTP? It doesn't!

TEOS addresses SMTP by enhancing it with its own external mechanisms, engines, and standards. It also makes use of existing mechanisms--such as filters, IP blacklists (filter exclude lists), and address white lists (filter bypass lists)--that are currently being deployed in the fight against spam. The TEOS proposal will certainly add complexity to the SMTP network of servers and senders, but it's designed to work with the current SMTP, providing a structure of security that is, generally, self-maintaining.

Imbedding Security into the SMTP Network

TEOS envisions an external sender-side identity verification engine or "trusted email sending engine" (TESE) program that would package the sender's identity, bind that identity with the domain from whence the message was derived, and encrypt a certificate before the message is transmitted. This TESE program would sit on the sender's machine as an add-in module to the current email application that the sender uses.

The identification certificate that was created would be transmitted with the message itself through the Internet to a gateway (potentially a router) where a counterpart engine, called a "trusted email receiver engine" (TERE) would verify the certificate, including any optional "assertions."

Existing receiver-side server filter mechanisms, including blacklists and white lists, would further parse the messages that were passing through the gateway. All this would occur before any message was actually placed into the receiver's mailbox.

Once in the in-box, the recipient's own filter mechanisms could come into play, further classifying and triaging the messages received. If required, feedback mechanisms could be implemented to better inform the gateway's TERE engine of the receiver's email filtering system.

Building a Real SMTP Community

The concept of identity certificates is not new, of course: They've been used successfully in a variety of non-SMTP mail environments for years, such as Lotus Notes or Microsoft Mail. The implementation of engines such as the TESE and TERE are, in essence, an implementation of principles onto the SMTP structure.

However, the TEOS proposal goes further still.

One of the primary problems with SMTP spam today is that the authority to eradicate it is dispersed: SMTP was a grassroots protocol that was developed by consensus by hundreds of thousands of SMTP administrators on local servers. This protocol then spread to ISPs without any solid mechanism for monitoring and control.

Spam itself was first seen as a localized problem that individual ISPs and SMTP administrators attempted to tackle. As a result, ISP blacklists, which often contained erroneous information, were sporadically implemented by individuals, creating virtual blackouts of domains and often pulling down innocent senders in the process.

TEOS addresses this problem of community head on.

At the higher security levels (Levels 2 and 3) TEOS envisions automatic mechanisms by which users can securely opt-in to lists and transparently communicate through the structure to resolve spam-related issues.

For instance, TEOS proposes an automatic arbitration mechanism by which falsified identities or abusing spammers can be pinpointed and their identity certificates invalidated--potentially at the router intersection where the message enters the SMTP network itself.

This arbitration mechanism would then automatically promulgate the offender's identity throughout the SMTP network to all the TERE modules, shutting the offender out before the messages can penetrate the network through other entry points.

Conversely, individuals whose identification certificates were erroneously added to a TERE blacklist (as sometimes happens now with ISP router blacklists) would have a central entity to resolve disputes, enabling them to clear their offense so that they might be allowed back onto SMTP TEOS networks.

This same central authentication entity or "oversight board" would add new message "assertion" classifications for each level of security as they became standard on the SMTP TEOS network. With this kind of mechanism, created and maintained through the community of ISPs on the oversight board, the monitoring and control of the overall system could finally become automated, standardized, extensible, and highly functional.

Can TEOS Work?

As a beginning, ePrivacy Group's TEOS proposal holds some real promise: It addresses the issue of spam with a realistic solution that recognizes the limitations and the power of the SMTP email legacy, while simultaneously addressing the need for an Internet community-based centralized solution. It is not the first serious proposal for a solution to spam, but it may be the most realistic that is currently available to us.

Its "additive" approach to technology, instead of a "scrap and rebuild" approach that many other organizations have previously proposed, will resonate well with network administrators who have already made substantial investments toward eliminating spam.

It is not itself a technology, but a blueprint for an open standard that could act as a framework for future solutions.

It's nonproprietary, so different organizations with differing email infrastructures on differing platforms can implement at will. At the same time, it is comprehensive, realistic, measured, and extensible. It holds the promise of preserving the powerful capabilities of SMTP without placing an undue burden upon administrators and users.

Limitations of Scope

However, if TEOS is adopted by ISPs to address spam, it will be ultimately unfortunate. Why? Because TEOS is a real-life kludge, patching yet another piece of fabric over the holes in the ancient technology of SMTP.

SMTP was a protocol built of expediency: It needed to be small, simple, and versatile in order for Internet email to be generally adopted by such a wide audience. But it's already an old technology, and its limitations stretch far beyond the abuse of spam and current public uproar over unsolicited email.

Besides its lack of security, SMTP's message data structure is bulky, readily intercepted by hackers, and highly susceptible to carrying viruses in the form of email attachments.

It's unfortunate that spam has drawn so much attention to the problems of the protocol, because it has created such a strong public and political demand to simply "fix it."

Yet, at the same time we are addressing spam, we could also be addressing technologies of data compression, XML-like syntaxes, beefed-up content security, and real workflow functionality that could greatly automate so many more functions of electronic correspondence. Such an investment would further the functionality of email, for the good of the entire Internet community.

Nonetheless, ePrivacy Group is owed a debt of thanks for starting the ball rolling with TEOS. Their insight and their expertise in this field make "Trusted Email Open Standard: A Comprehensive Policy and Technology Proposal for Email Reform" a "must read" for anyone who is seriously concerned with the problems of spam on the Internet.

TEOS may yet take the sting of spam out of the sound of "You've Got Mail" and preserve the killer app that we all have come to rely so heavily upon.

Thomas M. Stockwell is the Editor in Chief of MC Press, LLC. He has written extensively about program development, project management, IT management, and IT consulting and has been a frequent contributor to many midrange periodicals. He has authored numerous white papers for iSeries solutions providers. His most recent consulting assignments have been as a Senior Industry Analyst working with IBM on the iSeries, on the mid-market, and specifically on WebSphere brand positioning. He welcomes your comments about this or other articles and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Thomas Stockwell

Thomas M. Stockwell is an independent IT analyst and writer. He is the former Editor in Chief of MC Press Online and Midrange Computing magazine and has over 20 years of experience as a programmer, systems engineer, IT director, industry analyst, author, speaker, consultant, and editor.  

 

Tom works from his home in the Napa Valley in California. He can be reached at ITincendiary.com.

 

 

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

RESOURCE CENTER

  • WHITE PAPERS

  • WEBCAST

  • TRIAL SOFTWARE

  • White Paper: Node.js for Enterprise IBM i Modernization

    SB Profound WP 5539

    If your business is thinking about modernizing your legacy IBM i (also known as AS/400 or iSeries) applications, you will want to read this white paper first!

    Download this paper and learn how Node.js can ensure that you:
    - Modernize on-time and budget - no more lengthy, costly, disruptive app rewrites!
    - Retain your IBM i systems of record
    - Find and hire new development talent
    - Integrate new Node.js applications with your existing RPG, Java, .Net, and PHP apps
    - Extend your IBM i capabilties to include Watson API, Cloud, and Internet of Things


    Read Node.js for Enterprise IBM i Modernization Now!

     

  • Profound Logic Solution Guide

    SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation.
    Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects.
    The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the companyare not aligned with the current IT environment.

    Get your copy of this important guide today!

     

  • 2022 IBM i Marketplace Survey Results

    Fortra2022 marks the eighth edition of the IBM i Marketplace Survey Results. Each year, Fortra captures data on how businesses use the IBM i platform and the IT and cybersecurity initiatives it supports.

    Over the years, this survey has become a true industry benchmark, revealing to readers the trends that are shaping and driving the market and providing insight into what the future may bring for this technology.

  • Brunswick bowls a perfect 300 with LANSA!

    FortraBrunswick is the leader in bowling products, services, and industry expertise for the development and renovation of new and existing bowling centers and mixed-use recreation facilities across the entertainment industry. However, the lifeblood of Brunswick’s capital equipment business was running on a 15-year-old software application written in Visual Basic 6 (VB6) with a SQL Server back-end. The application was at the end of its life and needed to be replaced.
    With the help of Visual LANSA, they found an easy-to-use, long-term platform that enabled their team to collaborate, innovate, and integrate with existing systems and databases within a single platform.
    Read the case study to learn how they achieved success and increased the speed of development by 30% with Visual LANSA.

     

  • Progressive Web Apps: Create a Universal Experience Across All Devices

    LANSAProgressive Web Apps allow you to reach anyone, anywhere, and on any device with a single unified codebase. This means that your applications—regardless of browser, device, or platform—instantly become more reliable and consistent. They are the present and future of application development, and more and more businesses are catching on.
    Download this whitepaper and learn:

    • How PWAs support fast application development and streamline DevOps
    • How to give your business a competitive edge using PWAs
    • What makes progressive web apps so versatile, both online and offline

     

     

  • The Power of Coding in a Low-Code Solution

    LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed.
    Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

    • Discover the benefits of Low-code's quick application creation
    • Understand the differences in model-based and language-based Low-Code platforms
    • Explore the strengths of LANSA's Low-Code Solution to Low-Code’s biggest drawbacks

     

     

  • Why Migrate When You Can Modernize?

    LANSABusiness users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
    In this white paper, you’ll learn how to think of these issues as opportunities rather than problems. We’ll explore motivations to migrate or modernize, their risks and considerations you should be aware of before embarking on a (migration or modernization) project.
    Lastly, we’ll discuss how modernizing IBM i applications with optimized business workflows, integration with other technologies and new mobile and web user interfaces will enable IT – and the business – to experience time-added value and much more.

     

  • UPDATED: Developer Kit: Making a Business Case for Modernization and Beyond

    Profound Logic Software, Inc.Having trouble getting management approval for modernization projects? The problem may be you're not speaking enough "business" to them.

    This Developer Kit provides you study-backed data and a ready-to-use business case template to help get your very next development project approved!

  • What to Do When Your AS/400 Talent Retires

    FortraIT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators is small.

    This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:

    • Why IBM i skills depletion is a top concern
    • How leading organizations are coping
    • Where automation will make the biggest impact

     

  • Node.js on IBM i Webinar Series Pt. 2: Setting Up Your Development Tools

    Profound Logic Software, Inc.Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. In Part 2, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Attend this webinar to learn:

    • Different tools to develop Node.js applications on IBM i
    • Debugging Node.js
    • The basics of Git and tools to help those new to it
    • Using NodeRun.com as a pre-built development environment

     

     

  • Expert Tips for IBM i Security: Beyond the Basics

    SB PowerTech WC GenericIn this session, IBM i security expert Robin Tatam provides a quick recap of IBM i security basics and guides you through some advanced cybersecurity techniques that can help you take data protection to the next level. Robin will cover:

    • Reducing the risk posed by special authorities
    • Establishing object-level security
    • Overseeing user actions and data access

    Don't miss this chance to take your knowledge of IBM i security beyond the basics.

     

     

  • 5 IBM i Security Quick Wins

    SB PowerTech WC GenericIn today’s threat landscape, upper management is laser-focused on cybersecurity. You need to make progress in securing your systems—and make it fast.
    There’s no shortage of actions you could take, but what tactics will actually deliver the results you need? And how can you find a security strategy that fits your budget and time constraints?
    Join top IBM i security expert Robin Tatam as he outlines the five fastest and most impactful changes you can make to strengthen IBM i security this year.
    Your system didn’t become unsecure overnight and you won’t be able to turn it around overnight either. But quick wins are possible with IBM i security, and Robin Tatam will show you how to achieve them.

  • Security Bulletin: Malware Infection Discovered on IBM i Server!

    SB PowerTech WC GenericMalicious programs can bring entire businesses to their knees—and IBM i shops are not immune. It’s critical to grasp the true impact malware can have on IBM i and the network that connects to it. Attend this webinar to gain a thorough understanding of the relationships between:

    • Viruses, native objects, and the integrated file system (IFS)
    • Power Systems and Windows-based viruses and malware
    • PC-based anti-virus scanning versus native IBM i scanning

    There are a number of ways you can minimize your exposure to viruses. IBM i security expert Sandi Moore explains the facts, including how to ensure you're fully protected and compliant with regulations such as PCI.

     

     

  • Encryption on IBM i Simplified

    SB PowerTech WC GenericDB2 Field Procedures (FieldProcs) were introduced in IBM i 7.1 and have greatly simplified encryption, often without requiring any application changes. Now you can quickly encrypt sensitive data on the IBM i including PII, PCI, PHI data in your physical files and tables.
    Watch this webinar to learn how you can quickly implement encryption on the IBM i. During the webinar, security expert Robin Tatam will show you how to:

    • Use Field Procedures to automate encryption and decryption
    • Restrict and mask field level access by user or group
    • Meet compliance requirements with effective key management and audit trails

     

  • Lessons Learned from IBM i Cyber Attacks

    SB PowerTech WC GenericDespite the many options IBM has provided to protect your systems and data, many organizations still struggle to apply appropriate security controls.
    In this webinar, you'll get insight into how the criminals accessed these systems, the fallout from these attacks, and how the incidents could have been avoided by following security best practices.

    • Learn which security gaps cyber criminals love most
    • Find out how other IBM i organizations have fallen victim
    • Get the details on policies and processes you can implement to protect your organization, even when staff works from home

    You will learn the steps you can take to avoid the mistakes made in these examples, as well as other inadequate and misconfigured settings that put businesses at risk.

     

     

  • The Power of Coding in a Low-Code Solution

    SB PowerTech WC GenericWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed.
    Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

    • Discover the benefits of Low-code's quick application creation
    • Understand the differences in model-based and language-based Low-Code platforms
    • Explore the strengths of LANSA's Low-Code Solution to Low-Code’s biggest drawbacks

     

     

  • Node Webinar Series Pt. 1: The World of Node.js on IBM i

    SB Profound WC GenericHave you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.
    Part 1 will teach you what Node.js is, why it's a great option for IBM i shops, and how to take advantage of the ecosystem surrounding Node.
    In addition to background information, our Director of Product Development Scott Klement will demonstrate applications that take advantage of the Node Package Manager (npm).
    Watch Now.

  • The Biggest Mistakes in IBM i Security

    SB Profound WC Generic The Biggest Mistakes in IBM i Security
    Here’s the harsh reality: cybersecurity pros have to get their jobs right every single day, while an attacker only has to succeed once to do incredible damage.
    Whether that’s thousands of exposed records, millions of dollars in fines and legal fees, or diminished share value, it’s easy to judge organizations that fall victim. IBM i enjoys an enviable reputation for security, but no system is impervious to mistakes.
    Join this webinar to learn about the biggest errors made when securing a Power Systems server.
    This knowledge is critical for ensuring integrity of your application data and preventing you from becoming the next Equifax. It’s also essential for complying with all formal regulations, including SOX, PCI, GDPR, and HIPAA
    Watch Now.

  • Comply in 5! Well, actually UNDER 5 minutes!!

    SB CYBRA PPL 5382

    TRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms.

    Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product.

    Request your trial now!

  • Backup and Recovery on IBM i: Your Strategy for the Unexpected

    FortraRobot automates the routine tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:
    - Simplified backup procedures
    - Easy data encryption
    - Save media management
    - Guided restoration
    - Seamless product integration
    Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Try the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution FREE for 30 days.

  • Manage IBM i Messages by Exception with Robot

    SB HelpSystems SC 5413Managing messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events?
    Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:
    - Automated message management
    - Tailored notifications and automatic escalation
    - System-wide control of your IBM i partitions
    - Two-way system notifications from your mobile device
    - Seamless product integration
    Try the Robot Message Management Solution FREE for 30 days.

  • Easiest Way to Save Money? Stop Printing IBM i Reports

    FortraRobot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing.
    Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

    - Automated report distribution
    - View online without delay
    - Browser interface to make notes
    - Custom retention capabilities
    - Seamless product integration
    Rerun another report? Never again. Try the Robot Report Management Solution FREE for 30 days.

  • Hassle-Free IBM i Operations around the Clock

    SB HelpSystems SC 5413For over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i.
    Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:
    - Automated batch, interactive, and cross-platform scheduling
    - Event-driven dependency processing
    - Centralized monitoring and reporting
    - Audit log and ready-to-use reports
    - Seamless product integration
    Scale your software, not your staff. Try the Robot Job Scheduling Solution FREE for 30 days.