If you are using OpenDNS and get DNS timeouts for the uribl.com Blacklist (UB-BLACK), that is because the administrators of URIBL decided to reject DNS requests from OpenDNS. The reason is that OpenDNS servers are alone responsible for 50 million DNS requests per day on the public mirrors of uribl.com. We recommend that you use your own DNS servers for ORF or if you are doing lookups in large volume (in case of uribl.com, 300.000 requests per day), set up a data feed. Alternatively, you can try getting OpenDNS to set up a data feed themselves.

Using your ISP DNS servers as DNS forwarders could also trigger a similar response from DNSBL/SURBL operators, because your lookups and everyone else’s on your ISP’s network add up.

For large volume lookups, please consider that the vast majority DNS blacklists and SURBLs are non-profit and run on donated hardware and bandwidth. Before using these, make sure to check their fair use policy and set up a data feed if necessary.

The Conficker worm is widely regarded as the worst since SQLSlammer. It’s latest C variant will activate on April 1st, 2009, generate 50,000 domain names using an algorithm and pull its payload from one of these domains.

Estimations for the number of infected PCs range 9 to 15 million, which probably makes it the largest botnet ever, not even the Storm or the Kraken botnet come close in numbers.

My guess is it means more spam from tomorrow. A large botnet like this one can send several billions of spam a day, so getting the V1agr@ ads to your mailbox will be cheaper than ever.

I am sure you have already checked your network for infected PCs, now make sure that Spamhaus ZEN is enabled in ORF (will blacklist emails from botnet dial-up lines) and you have SURBLs on (will catch spam payload).

We just launched a new community feature of vamsoft.com, the Feature Requests section. This is a community-powered feature request tracker that allows browsing, voting and submitting ORF feature requests.

In the tracker, you have 10 votes and it is up to you how you distribute your votes – let’s say you really want us to implement “Configuration Synchronization“, so you cast 6 of your votes on it and only 1 vote to “SCL Scoring“, because you consider it as just a nice-to-have feature. Of course, when “Configuration Synchronization” gets implemented, you get your 6 votes back (and anyway, you can change your mind anytime).

Visit the Feature Requests section at http://www.vamsoft.com/features

We are collecting feature requests since Day 1 and have recorded more than 150+ so far, but only the top requests were added to the tracker. This is intentional: what you might have needed two years ago may no longer what you want now. In any case, please feel free to submit your request via the tracker and convince others to vote.

Happy voting!