What is the distinction between Abusix 'black' and 'black_css' abuse lists?

Abusix maintains two distinct abuse lists, 'black' and 'black_css', each serving a specific role in email deliverability and spam prevention. The 'black' list acts as a Realtime Blocklist (RBL), primarily identifying and blocking IP addresses and domains actively engaged in abuse, such as direct spamming or malware distribution, based on real-time complaints and spam trap hits. In contrast, the 'black_css' (Composite Scanning Service Blocklist) is a more aggressive and comprehensive list. It targets a broader range of low-reputation or non-compliant senders by leveraging extensive heuristics, patterns, and suspected abuse types, often including servers that show signs of compromise or suspicious behavior, even before they send large volumes of spam. While 'black' focuses on immediate, clear-cut threats, 'black_css' offers a proactive defense against a wider spectrum of potentially undesirable email traffic.

Abusix utilizes two primary abuse lists, 'black' and 'black_css', each serving a distinct purpose in email deliverability. The 'black' list is widely regarded as a real-time blacklist (RBL), primarily targeting current and active sources of spam or abuse for immediate blocking. Conversely, the 'black_css' list is a more comprehensive and aggressive mechanism. It includes IP addresses that might not be actively sending spam but are associated with suspicious behavior or a poor reputation, extending beyond direct abuse reports to provide proactive filtering against a wider spectrum of low-quality or questionable email traffic.

The 'black' and 'black_css' abuse lists from Abusix serve different purposes in identifying problematic email senders. The 'black' list traditionally targets IP addresses actively involved in sending abusive traffic like spam or malware. In contrast, the 'black_css' list, an acronym for 'Compromised Server Summary,' is specifically designed to flag IP addresses of servers that are suspected of being compromised or under botnet control. An IP on the 'black_css' list might not be sending high volumes of spam, but rather shows indicators of compromise, and is removed once the server is secured. There's also a perspective that 'black_css' might indicate a method of listing, such as for snowshoeing, rather than being a wholly separate list itself, drawing parallels to Spamhaus conventions.

Abusix offers two distinct abuse lists, 'black' and 'black_css', each with a unique approach to identifying and blocking problematic email senders. The 'black' list functions as a Realtime Blocklist, primarily targeting IP addresses and domains that are actively engaged in abuse, identified through direct complaints and real-time spam trap hits. This list is designed for immediate, reactive blocking of clear-cut, ongoing threats. In contrast, the 'black_css' list, or Composite Scanning Service Blocklist, takes a more aggressive and comprehensive approach. It uses a wider array of data sources, including various heuristics, patterns, and proprietary algorithms, to identify a broader range of low-reputation, non-compliant, or potentially suspicious senders. While 'black' focuses on confirmed, active abuse, 'black_css' provides a proactive defense against a wider spectrum of potentially undesirable or low-quality email traffic, often flagging issues before they escalate into high-volume spam.