[CQ-Contest] Spoofed Self spots

Tue Nov 2 09:03:47 EDT 2021

The solution has already been proposed—allow self-spotting. Put SSB on a par with the CW RBN. No messy, long-drawn out technical effort required. Just say that it’s OK.

Stan, K4SBZ

"Real radio bounces off the sky."

> On Nov 2, 2021, at 8:43 AM, John Dorr <cqk1ar at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Good morning,
> 
> Just so everyone knows, the CQWW Contest Committee is taking this issue
> very seriously and is investigating the issue in great detail via some very
> smart network guys on my team. These spots will have no impact on anyone's
> score. However, as always, we will continue to review other cases where
> self-spotting is obvious and beyond what has occurred in this particular
> situation.
> 
> 73, John, K1AR
> CQ WW Contest Director
> 
> 
> 
>> On Tue, Nov 2, 2021 at 8:03 AM Steve Dyer via CQ-Contest <
>> cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
>> 
>> I really hope we don't have to start authenticating to clusters. The
>> hassle to the many global users seems to far exceed the gravity of the
>> problem. Every piece of software that uses clusters would have to
>> implement whatever scheme was used. It would be a mess.
>> Steve
>> W1SRD
>> 
>>> On 11/1/2021 18:10, K3IB Peter wrote:
>>> Identifying bad guys by IP addresses is not a thing any more.
>>> 
>>> I can change my home IP address at will.  Good luck getting Comcast to
>> tell you what IP address was on my router 3 days ago.
>>> 
>>> I can also attack from dozens of countries around the world by using one
>> of any number of inexpensive VPN services.
>>> 
>>> The best way forward is for clusters to start authenticating their users
>> with a simple, widely available mechanism like SQRL.
>>> 
>>> -peter K3IB
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> IIRC, maybe 20 years ago Dave, K1TTT did some pioneering work in
>>>> identifying self-spotters, I think through the use of IP addresses  It
>>>> may be that the same techniques can be used today - or maybe they can at
>>>> least demonstrate that these were *not* self-spots. Dave?
>>>> 
>>>> 73, Pete N4ZR
>>>> Check out the new Reverse Beacon Network
>>>> web server at<http://beta.reversebeacon.net>.
>>>> For spots, please use your favorite
>>>> "retail" DX cluster.
>>>> 
>>>> On 11/1/2021 2:46 PM, Michael Walker wrote:
>>>>> Wow, what a surprise.  I just went and looked at my cluster and sure
>>>>> enough.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I was running unassisted and I see that I spotted myself twice.
>>>>> 
>>>>> This is not good and the only reason is for someone to ensure that the
>>>>> cluster logging can't be trusted.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Mike va3mw
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> VA3MW-7>
>>>>>    7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2319Z
>>>>> <VA3MW>
>>>>>    7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2313Z
>>>>> <WT8WV>
>>>>>    7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2305Z  LSB
>>>>> <N2YO>
>>>>>    7214.9  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2252Z  LSB
>>>>> <N4SS>
>>>>>    7215.0  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2249Z
>>>>>   <W3MR>
>>>>>    7215.0  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2244Z  LSB
>>>>> <WU9D>
>>>>>    7215.0  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2237Z
>>>>>   <N3GT>
>>>>>    7215.0  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2235Z  LSB
>>>>>   <AC3LZ>
>>>>>    7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2211Z
>>>>> <VA3MW>
>>>>>    7215.1  VA3MW       31-Oct-2021 2205Z
>>>>> <KE1IH>
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Mon, Nov 1, 2021 at 1:39 PM Dave K2XR via CQ-Contest <
>>>>> cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> GM contesters.  Hope you all are resting well.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> In the FRC chat room we have been discussing the abundance of apparent
>>>>>> self spots during the contest.  Many of our participants who run had
>>>>>> their callsigns spoofed and spots of themselves made. It seems to have
>>>>>> happened to enough of us that the question was posed...   'Was it just
>>>>>> FRC that was targeted, or was it all contesters? "
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Looking on this reflector as well as the 3830 reflector, it didn't
>> take
>>>>>> long to see that it wasn't just FRC.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> http://lists.contesting.com/archives//html/3830/2021-11/msg00174.html
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Curious to know who else out there was targeted.  The were about 10
>>>>>> cases in the chat room I was in this AM, and suspect it might have
>> been
>>>>>> a huge problem.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Is there a way for the sysops to track down the origin ?     I would
>>>>>> think so, but am not positive.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> It would be great to nail the perpetrator, and some of us are
>> demanding
>>>>>> it if it is all possible.  Kind of ruins everything for some.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>       Dave   K2XR      Frankford Radio Club
>>>>>> 
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