Initially, the Internet was used by a very trusting community. Sites were open, with information freely available and shared. Passwords and user accounts were shared and even publicized. Email servers accepted emails from any source and sent them towards their destination. Nowadays, the ethos of the Internet has changed. Information is no longer shared as freely, and user accounts and passwords are guarded. It is rare to find a server that will take email from an unknown user and forward it on. This is a direct consequence of spam and the cost and risks associated with it.

Spam has become such a problem that ISPs terminate the accounts of spammers when they are reported. Consequently, spammers search for open relays, which are email servers that allow unknown or unauthenticated users to send emails. Once discovered, spammers use these mail servers to send spam emails. This approach prevents spam from being traced to its true source.

Running an open relay has serious...