Spam blocklist SORBS closed by its owner, Proofpoint

[Birdy]

Spam blocklist SORBS closed by its owner, Proofpoint

Spammers will probably bid to buy it, so community is trying to find a better home for decades-old service.

The Spam and Open Relay Blocking System (SORBS) – a longstanding source of info on known sources of spam widely used to create blocklists – has been shuttered by its owner, cyber security software vendor Proofpoint.

SORBS provided free access to a DNS-based Block List (DNSBL) that lists over 12 million host servers known to disseminate spam, phishing attacks and other email nasties. The service states its list "typically includes email servers suspected of sending or relaying spam, servers that have been hacked and hijacked, and those with Trojan infestations."

Over 200,000 organizations use SORBS data, and the service is highly rated for its accuracy.

The service is over twenty years old and was created by Michelle Sullivan, who oversaw it as a Proofpoint employee working from Australia.