Spam Hits Lowest Point Since 2008

[troutman]

The decrease may be a result of recent takedowns of two botnets disarmed by the FBI earlier this year

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...int-since-2008

Global spam levels have dropped to their lowest point in three years, and now make up just 70.5 percent of all emails, according to Symantec's new Intelligence Report.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by troutman

The decrease may be a result of recent takedowns of two botnets disarmed by the FBI earlier this year

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...int-since-2008

Global spam levels have dropped to their lowest point in three years, and now make up just 70.5 percent of all emails, according to Symantec's new Intelligence Report.

That, and spam has gotten smarter.

Targeted spam and phishing, also called spearphishing, are 10x more effective than normal spam and take more resources to pull off, so less can (and needs to be) sent out.

[photon]

lol spearphishing, makes sense.

I've gotten a lot of that recently, twitter updates that aren't actually twitter, etc.

[Rathji]

It's actually really interesting.

For targetted spam the botnet comptuer will take its contact list, and scan and analyze your common email structure, grammar, spelling etc, and send the emails using this information, with a fairly believable email. Spam filters don't catch it, because it doesn't look like spam, and people click the link because it looks almost believable.

Spearphishing, AFAIK, farms data from as many sources as possible and then compiles an email that you might normally receive. Twitter or Facebook notifications would be a very good example of simple spearphishing, but it can get a lot more complex in the hunt for financial info.

[kirant]

Originally Posted by Rathji

That, and spam has gotten smarter.

Targeted spam and phishing, also called spearphishing, are 10x more effective than normal spam and take more resources to pull off, so less can (and needs to be) sent out.

Spearphishing?


I honestly can't say I've seen a markable increase or decrease in mine. I still basically only get spam about some guy overseas wanting me to have his money or how I won the Spanish Lottery.

[afc wimbledon]

Maybe people have just realised nothing is going to make their penis grow.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by troutman

...and now make up just 70.5 percent of all emails...

LOL

I'm glad we finally got Spam under control.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

Maybe people have just realised nothing is going to make their penis grow permanently.

fyp


See http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=97609