Spam blocklist SORBS closed by its owner, Proofpoint
Exclusive The Spam and Open Relay Blocking System (SORBS) – a longstanding source of info on known sources of spam widely used to create blocklists – has been shuttered by its owner, cyber security software vendor Proofpoint.
SORBS provided free access to a DNS-based Block List (DNSBL) that lists over 12 million host servers known to disseminate spam, phishing attacks and other email nasties. The service states its list "typically includes email servers suspected of sending or relaying spam, servers that have been hacked and hijacked, and those with Trojan infestations."
The service is over twenty years old and was created by Michelle Sullivan, who oversaw it as a Proofpoint employee working from Australia.
"The decision to sunset a product is never an easy one and was made after thorough consideration of various factors impacting the service's sustainability. We can confirm that SORBS was decommissioned on June 5, 2024, and the service no longer contains reputation data. Given the wide range of potential replacement solutions in the market, Proofpoint cannot make recommendations nor endorse any specific replacement product; this is dependent on an organization's needs."
Decommissioning SORBS saw its "Zones" – 18 lists, each devoted to a different class of spam-related server – emptied of information.
