1 user giving me cause for concern. Your thoughts?

Turboz · 03-08-2005, 08:06 AM

Hi

I have a user who has given me cause for concern. He took up my offer of a free website and then started using it for online file storage instead. In February alone he managed to use almost 400Mb of transfer - just for his online file storage. This isn't a problem but I feel that he's taking advantage of my free site hosting and resources. He does have 3Gb traffic allowance but I feel that he's using the space and bandwidth for a purpose other than what it was meant for.

2) He's installed a http proxy script. He claims it never worked. The CHMOD was set to 644 - though he could easily be changing this when he needs to use it. He claims it was to use tech sites and use google while he was at school for research purposes. I visited the homepage of the script and downloaded and installed it on one of my accounts to see what it allows. I was able to view and post on this website with no problems. I've also managed to login to yahoo mail with no problems (though once logged in the proxy script seemed to disappear). My problem is I have no real idea what this script might be used for - EG kiddy pics, hacking etc.

For the time being his account remains suspended.

Any advice would be nicely received.

-Turboz

techteen · 03-08-2005, 05:29 PM

If you want my opion, add something to your AUP that says the website hosting must be used for a website, and can not be for file storage. After that, Termination his account for Violation of the Aceeptable Use Policy and watch out for duplicat accounts like he has. If you share the script with me like wher he got it or etc, i could look into it all for you. But if you want proof, see who is accessing his website through the log's Ie: firewall and etc if you want hard information ebfore terminating him.

Jeff

jdhf99 · 03-11-2005, 11:17 PM

We also only allow people to have sites, once we see them hosting files they get suspended. We look at it as a storage to visitor ratio, if they're getting only a few visitors but their site is 1 gig then they're getting suspended

LP-Trel · 03-12-2005, 12:25 AM

Just make both against your AUP and terminate the bugger.

That is an abusive user if I have ever seen one.

Turboz · 03-12-2005, 04:08 AM

Well the latest is that his http proxy script had a logging feature which was disabled.

I offered to re-enable his account on the condition that logging was enabled so that I could check the sites he was visiting were legal.

He thanked me and said he'd find another host. I assume from this that he was trying to view sites which were illegal and wanted all traces of it to be sent back to my server (in other words traceable back to me). Why refuse otherwise? - He obviously didn't want his URL's being watched.

His account has now been wiped after the datacentre said that they were unable to trace any sign of activity from the script. When quizzed about file storage he said he hadn't even been looking at file sizes or the transfer that he'd been using to store them.

Well he's gone now - apparently he's going to go with a paid host! (and they still don't like file storage either!). No doubt the paid host will want his home address too!

-Turboz