The logs and protocol already have all of this information propagated to
all of the nodes. It just requires someone to analyze the local log
files on a node, usually with software. Per K1AR, the contest committee
has very sophisticated software to analyze the logs and spots for integrity.
Mike, W1NR
On 11/2/2021 9:55 AM, Michael Adams wrote:
As someone else mentioned, I'm skeptical that authentication would be as
effective as some might hope, especially given the challenges of securely
propagating authentication across the hive of the spotting network.
However, I do think it would be helpful if there were a shift towards a 2.0 format of
spotting traffic, one where (perhaps among other data) "name of originating
node" in addition to the spotter were propagated across the network, and where nodes
reported where they received a particular from (both IP address and node name?) rather
than just retaining that information in the logs. The spotting network has been
primarily internet-focused rather than packet-focused for years; we don't need to be
quite so miserly when it comes to information relayed with individual spots (although the
processing implications of the RBN firehose still must be considered).
Such a format wouldn't prevent spoofing, of course. However, those two pieces
of information would facilitate analysis of node logs for contest inquiries
about self-spotting, as well as providing sysops another tool for blocking bad
actors / crap spots.
(And if the project resulted in node software that works as well as AR Cluster,
I'd be extremely happy.)
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