The TechTheft Watchlist Blacklist is a semi-manually maintained IP-based blocklist (blacklist) that functions as a watchlist for potential abuse and should only be used for tagging or scoring, not for blocking, due to a high risk of collateral damage.
The TechTheft Watchlist Blacklist is a semi-manually curated DNS-based blacklist (DNSBL) that lists IP addresses. According to its operators, this blocklist is not intended for blocking email outright. Instead, it is designed for tagging and scoring, where being listed adds points to an email's overall spam score. The maintainers explicitly recommend against using it to block mail due to a high risk of collateral damage.
Listings are based on public nominations and abuse reports referencing a domain name, IP address, or netblock. This blacklist functions as a watchlist, meaning that listed entities are being monitored due to third-party claims of abuse, even without direct local evidence. TechTheft may list a wide range of internet resources that come into contact with its spam and attack traps, including:
This blacklist is run by an organization named TechTheft. The group describes its mission as fighting high-technology theft, which includes viral attacks, spam, and DDoS attacks. It was formed as a collaborative point for administrators and hobbyists who felt that earlier anti-spam systems like MAPS and SPEWS were no longer sufficient to combat modern threats. TechTheft advocates for a very strict approach, what they call an "Internet Death Penalty", against sources and supporters of internet abuse to prevent malicious activity at its source.
Removal from the TechTheft Watchlist Blacklist is done by request, but only after you have resolved all underlying issues. Before requesting delisting from this blocklist, you must ensure you have taken the following steps:
Once all complaints have been resolved, the listing can be removed. The process is manual and initiated upon request, though a specific delisting form or page is not publicly provided.
The intended impact of being on this blacklist is low. The operators state that it should only be used for scoring or tagging emails, not for blocking them. However, since individual system administrators can use a blacklist however they choose, it is possible some mail servers are configured to reject mail based on this list. This misuse can lead to email delivery failures, which is why the list is noted as having a high risk for collateral damage.
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