Spam mails climb high during first quarter 2009

According to Security Company PandaLabs, a mere 7% of the total e-mail that companies received during Q1 2009 was genuine message. Analyzing approximately 69m e-mails during Q1 2009, it was revealed that as much as 90% of electronic mails reaching organizations was spam.

Further according to the report, India was responsible for approximately 5.76% of the entire spam, while United States kept on being distinguished as the worst spam-producing country with an 11.61% share. Brazil came in second with 11.5% and Romania followed with 5.8% of all spam mails.

As for spam subjects, the ongoing world economic crisis is one that has raised e-mails associated with academic degrees and job offers.

According to Technical Director Luis Corrons of PandaLabs, online criminals have been taking advantage of the frantic situation of people searching employment through the lure of so-called jobs. CXOToday.com published this on April 22, 2009. Corrons added the criminals' true aim, however, pertains to enlisting of money-mules, i.e. duping people into engaging in money laundering through their accounts in banks.

Moreover, notes the report that spam mails relating to pharmaceuticals and sexual enhancement drugs continue to be predominant.

Twitter, the widely accepted micro blogging website, too has been the target for online criminals during Q1 2009 from where phishing attacks were launched, the report indicates.

Elucidating on this point, Corrons said the Twitter attack is a typical example of social engineering in which the crooks take advantage of users' curiosity for trapping them into malicious scams. The new thing in this, however, is the application of the widely used Web 2.0 software.

Meanwhile, security specialists stated certain countries prosecute spam sending, including United States where some spammers have been jailed. However, with respect to malicious websites that spam leads to, the experts said it is nearly infeasible to know the person responsible for them. That explains why the geographical sources of spam frequently change for western countries.

Hence, it is extremely significant to educate users about keeping their computers, malware free that would not only reduce the probability of spam effects, but also maintain the probity of the data and system.

Related article: Spam Scam Bags a Scottish Connection

» SPAMfighter News - 4/27/2009