SMTP "open relay" and SMTP AUTH
 

Not a specific LINUX question but it's asking and answering may help others in the community.

Over the last few days I've been receiving a lot of bounced "spam" that appears to have been sent from my email address. With minimal of effort I sent an email from my home machine using my ISP SMTP server but with my work email address to a ficticious address. The email bounced as it couldn't find the fictious address and the next morning appeared in the inbox on my machine at work!

It therefore appears that my ISP uses an SMTP "open relay", which will allow anybody, anywhere to use their server to email whomever they want. What pressure could be brought on them so that they clean up their act?

Is there an ISP that I can use that uses a more secure SMTP?

Thanks for any advice

To my knowledge, and I stand to be corrected, when it is noticed that they are an open relay they will be sent a mail to say close the hole or you will be blacklisted. (This happened to a clint of mine who was running an open relay.)

My ISP (www.orange.co.uk) still seems to be operating an "Open Relay" and is not responding to my requests to stop. Is there any other organisation that I can report this to?

Regards

You can test whether the SMTP server really is an open relay in http://www.abuse.net/relay.html or http://www.ordb.org/submit/