Logging IP addresses

[bitdaf]

Hi,

Our web sites have contact forms so that the public can contact our management ... usual story.

Lately we have been seeing a lot of spam/junk coming from the forms - nothing malicious just annoying in that the form is not being used as intended ...

What I would like to do is to be able to get the ip addresses of those that use the form - so that I can either deny access to that ip - or report the spam.

2 Questions:

Would someone please recommend a script or method for logging the ips?
Am I required, or ethically bound, to place a notice on the pages that I am gathering ip addresses?

Thanks
Bitdaf

 

[SamBones]

Your web server should be logging this in it's access logs. Standard access logs include the originating IP. Just ask whoever administrates your server for access logs for the times that you received this spam/junk.

I don't believe you're required to report that you're collecting IP addresses since that's the default behavior for most web servers.

Once you have one or more IP addresses, the site

http://www.dnsstuff.com

is pretty useful for tracking down where it is and who "owns" it (this may be their ISP).

Hope this helps.

 

[bitdaf]

Thanks! I have sorted this out with my web host and have full access to all logs.

Thanks!

Bitdaf

 

[airbourne]

Another way to filter out junk would be to add a Word Verification system like those used on registration websites and sites like blogspot.com

Basically, whenever someone wants to submit a form to you, they must type the letters / numbers that appear on a JPG picture. Since a machine cannot read what is on that JPG picture, it will be unable to automatically send you spam.

I do not know the process because I am not a web.dev but someone here might know of a prepackaged software that you can buy and add to your form submittal to stop that.

I think you'll find that blocking IPs will turn into a daunting and fruitless task, as most spam bots either change IP address constantly by spoofing where they are comming from, or they use a zombie farm to send their messages.