About MLaB

MLaB a facilitating foundation, which started from the need from several Opensource Community projects that needed connectivity and a place to place services. Instead of each project searching for a home on their own, we joined our efforts into one single community providing all then needs of these projects. Support from MLaB ranges from compute, networking to even financial support for Opensource and public projects, which MLaB collectivly requests from contributors and sponsors.

MLaB also is a place to build, manage and maintain (new) Opensource projects and over the years we have setup a free-to-user large LoRaWAN network in the Netherlands, playground for networking and security research and build a large computing grid generating models for weather patterns for the next 50 years.

Peering Policy

MLaB operates both MLaBnet (AS41047) and MOTP (AS59760) has an open peering policy, and will peer with networks that have a presence on mutual exchange points in accordance with the policies described below. In special cases we provide upstream announcement for other non-profit research networks and/or organisations.

Requirements

To setup a connection, peering partners:

  • must have an up-to-date PeeringDB entry.
  • should have a well set-up route-set or AS-SET as well as up-to date prefix maximums defined in PeeringDB.
  • must have an up-to-date NOC contact email, which is responsive to raised issues and concerns.
  • must have an up-to-date Abuse contact email, which is responsive and acting on complaints and reports.

Peering requests can be send to peering@mlabnet.nl and much include a small description of your network, ASN, AS-SET, Prefixes and preffered endpoint country/IXP.

Important notices

To ensure quality of operations, we reserve the following rights under our Peering Policy:

  • To alter our peering policy and peering requirements at any time.
  • To accept or decline a peering request at any time for any reason.
  • To suspend, without notice, peering connectivity in the event of a severe quality of service issue such as high latency, packet loss, or jitter pattern is detected and to take appropriate traffic engineering steps to maintain service quality.
  • To selectively withdraw prefixes from public IXP fabrics as needed to protect service quality.
  • To terminate any peering connection at any time without notice.

Details on our network can be found at: AS41047 and AS59760

Abuse & Acceptable Use Policy

The MLaB foundation strongly believes in free expression and privacy in this digital age. As such we allow proxies, VPN and TOR nodes within our network, which based on their nature do not allow for filtering or monitoring. However we do not allow, by Dutch Law, any unlawful and/or illegal content within our network and take no small action on such cases. Our full policy is listed below, but in short: If you cause problems for anyone else on the internet, we reserve the right disable or cancel the service without any notice!

Acceptable Use Policy

When provisions of this Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) are violated, MLaB can take measures, as defined in the Abuse Policy, to counter the continuation or repetition of the offence. The objectives of the Acceptable Use Policy include:

  • offering users safe and reliable internet services.
  • contributing to the open nature of the internet and the value of the internet as a platform for freedom of speech.
  • promoting the responsible use of the internet and counteracting practices that negatively affect the value of the internet.
  • protection the rights, privacy and (internet) security of individuals and organisations.
  • indicating the rights and obligations, in addition to statutory rights and obligations, MLaB provides users with.

Rules of Conduct

  • The starting point is that users behave as proper and careful internet users and do not cause any inconvenience to the other users and/or networks on the internet.
  • The user shall follow reasonably formulated instructions from MLaB regarding the offered internet services.
  • The user shall refrain from transmitting any material through or posting any material, of any form, on the internet, which can be regarded as illegal, unlawful, threatening, discriminatory, libellous, encouraging or triggering conducts that can be considered criminal, which could give civil liability to, or could otherwise result in a conflict with the Dutch law or international laws and regulations.
  • The user will do everything reasonably possible to prevent a computer virus or other malicious program from being posted on or transmitted through the internet or MLaB's infrastructure.
  • The user will do everything reasonably possible to only connect systems with adequate security to the internet.
  • MLaB is extremely careful with their users' confidential information (including passwords) and expect the same degree of care from its users.
  • The users will inform MLaB as soon as possible if any confidential data from or provided by MLaB has come into the hands of unauthorised parties, or in case of suspicion thereof.
  • The user will inform MLaB as soon as possible when unauthorised parties have had access to the services, or in case of suspicion thereof.
  • The user shall refrain from any attempt, in any way whatsoever, to:
    • invade third party systems or using third party accounts without authorisation.
    • gain access to data not intended for the user.
    • carry out any denial of service attacks.
    • intercept or manipulate third party network traffic without consent.
    • send spam.
    • manipulate electronic messages (including email headers).

Notice and Takedown

MLaB uses a specific Notice and Take Down (NTD) procedure for reporting violations of the Acceptable Use Policy regarding unlawful and/or illegal content on our network. This procedure is based on, and thus endorses, the 2008 NTD code of conduct. We distinguish between reports by companies and individuals on the one hand, and actions, interventions and request from/by (government) authorities on the other. We use the NTD procedure described here to handle reports. In case of actions and requests of authorities, we act solely on the basis of a strong, legal underpinning such as a judgment or order.

Submitting reports

The detector should first contact the content provider to come to an agreement. Only once this has failed, and the reporter has done their outmost best to resolve the issue directly with the content provider, the issue be reported to MLaB and must contain the following information for it to be taken into consideration:

  • indication that the report concerns an NTD request, detectors contact information.
  • description of the failed attempt to come to an agreement with the content provider, including e-mail and call attempts/logs.
  • the data MLaB needs to assess the content, including at least the location of the illegal and/or criminal content (URL).
  • a description of why the content is illegal and/or criminal according to the detector.
  • an explanation as to why MLaB is approached as the most suitable agent to act.
  • an explicit indemnity against claims by the content provider as a result of taking measures for dealing with the report.
  • the report should be mailed to abuse@mlabnet.nl.
  • the detector is responsible for a correct and complete notification.

Handling reports

After MLaB has received the NTD report, MLaB will respond substantively within to working days of the notification and indicate which of the following options applies. MLaB may decide to ask a third party to evaluate the content of the report in cases that exposure to the content is suspected to be harmful to MLaB or the assessing employee. The personal data of the detector and content provider will not be provided to the third party in these cases. When providing information to the detector and/or content provider, the personal data of the detector or content provider will not be shared without permission. If either MLaB or the third party finds that the report is:

  • not unmistakably illegal and/or undoubtedly punishable, MLaB will inform the content provider of the report. MLaB will inform the detector of this.
  • unmistakably illegal and/or undoubtedly punishable and MLaB knows that an investigation is important for the content to be accessible, MLaB will not proceed to make the content inaccessible. MLaB will inform the detector of this.
  • unmistakably illegal and/or undoubtedly punishable and there is an emergency that warrants no further delay, MLaB will immediately proceed to disabling the access to the content when proportionally possible. MLaB will inform the content provider and detector of this.
  • unmistakably illegal and/or undoubtedly punishable, MLaB will inform the content provider about the report and request to have the content made inaccessible within two working days. MLaB will inform the detector of this. If the content provider:
    • has made the content inaccessible within two working days, MLaB will inform the detector of this.
    • has not made the content inaccessible within two working days and informs MLaB of an investigation requiring the content to remain accessible, MLaB will not proceed to make the content inaccessible. MLaB will inform the detector of this.
    • has not made the content inaccessible within two working days, MLaB will do that when proportionally possible. MLaB will inform the content provider and detector of this.

Other Abuse reports

Violations of the AUP other than unlawful and/or illegal content on the internet is subject to our general abuse procedure. A complaint is expected to contain the following information to be taken into consideration by MLaB:

  • an indication that the report is an abuse complaint.
  • the contact information of the detector.
  • a description of the abuse.
  • the data required to confirm the abuse, such as IP addresses, logs, etc.

The abuse complaint should be emailed to abuse@mlabnet.nl.

Abuse without report

When MLaB registers conducts in conflict with the Acceptable Use Policy, MLaB may decide to suspend a service to the causing party, until consultations between the affected user and a MLaB employee have been concluded. In case this consultation does not result in a satisfactory solution for MLaB, MLaB may decide to discontinue the service to the user and terminate the contract with immediate effect.

Revisions

MLaB reserves the right to revise this Abuse Policy unilaterally in accordance with social and technological developments.

Responsible Disclosure Policy

At the MLaB foundation, we consider the security of our systems a top priority. But no matter how much effort we put into system security, there can still be vulnerabilities present.

If you discover a vulnerability, we would like to know about it so we can take steps to address it as quickly as possible. We would like to ask you to help us better protect our clients and our systems. Please read our policy entirely before submitting any report and don't submit non-security issues/bugs or feature requests as vulnerability reports, as these do not qualify within the Responsible Disclosure policy.

Not everything is a security issue

MLaB will evaluate each report and check weither this is indeed a security issue. Although within the community many think several items should be a security issue, it actually is not. Some (missing or added) features might create an extra layer of security, but the lack if it does not mean it is a security issue (for us). Also reporting a problem purely based on a scan/report based on e.g. a version does NOT proof any vulnerability, you must show e.g. with a Proof-of-Concept that the item is really vulnerable. Point to some external source with a generic Proof-of-Concept will not suffice, the report has to be reproduceable on it's own. Over time we received many reports that we have rejected for just that reason. The following items are NOT classified as a security issue and therefor by default rejected:

  • The lack of, and/or, missing DNS records such as SPF, Dane, DKIM, etc.
  • The lack of, and/or, missing (http(s)) headers such as HSTS, iFrames, CSP, etc.
  • The disclosure of publicly known information, such as open directories, public files, GIT files, etc.
  • The disclosure of publicly known software informatie, such as version, branch, etc.
  • The availability of open ports/services, suchs as SSH, FTP, etc.

Scope of the netwerk

MLaB supports many projects as such you might find vulnerable programs or systems within our network, however only systems directly operated by MLaB are within the scope of this Responsible Disclosure Policy. If the report is for another projects we will help you to get into contact with the project's maintainer(s) and if they do not respond contact them on your behalf.

We do not provide a detailed lists of systems and items that are within scope, so if there is a system out there you must find them on your own.

Please do the following

  • Read the entire policy before submitting. Sending in reports that obviously do not qualify will not help you in future reports!
  • E-mail your findings to cert@mlabnet.nl
  • Aggregate your findings relating to the same platform, the same problem on multiple location is one single report.
  • Do not take advantage of the vulnerability or problem you have discovered, for example by downloading more data than necessary to demonstrate the vulnerability or deleting or modifying other people's data
  • Do not reveal the problem to others until it has been resolved
  • Do not use attacks on physical security, social engineering, distributed denial of service, spam or applications of third parties.
  • Do provide sufficient information to reproduce the problem, so we will be able to resolve it as quickly as possible. To qualify your report, you must should a vulnerability. Usually, the IP address or the URL of the affected system and a description of the vulnerability will be sufficient, but complex vulnerabilities may require further explanation.
  • The Responsible Disclosure program is not a discussion forum, if we reject your report ... then we will not accept it. We decide what we deem a security issue!

What we promise

  • We will respond to your report within 5 business days with our evaluation of the report and an expected resolution date.
  • If you have followed the instructions above, we will not take any legal action against you in regard to the report.
  • We will handle your report with strict confidentiality, and not pass on your personal details to third parties without your permission.
  • We will keep you informed of the progress towards resolving the problem.
  • We will inform you if we accepted your report as a found security issue or that we deny the report as the reported issue and/or Proof-of-Concept does not work or qualify within the program.
  • In the public information concerning the problem reported, we will give your name as the discoverer of the problem (unless you desire otherwise).
  • As a token of our gratitude for your assistance, we offer a reward for every accepted report of a security problem that was not yet known to us. The amount of the reward will be determined based on the severity of the leak and the quality of the report.
  • We strive to resolve all problems as quickly as possible, and we would like to play an active role in the ultimate publication on the problem after it is resolved.

Contact

We do not provide support, handle abuse reports, etc. by phone. To contact us please use the following e-mail addresses:

Generic questions or requestsinfo@mlabnet.nl
Peering issues or requestspeering@mlabnet.nl
Network related issuesnoc@mlabnet.nl
Platform related issuessupport@mlabnet.nl
Security issues and reportscert@mlabnet.nl