Spammers Using Link-Condensing Tools In Most Spam Runs

According to MessageLabs, spammers are employing URL-shortening services in increasing number of instances to lure Internet users to read their messages. Through its Intelligence Report for July 2010, the security company states that botnet operators are using the services in a remarkable number of spam runs as a means for eluding anti-spam filters.

Reportedly, on April 30, 2010, spam mails having condensed web-links peaked to 23.4bn messages or 18% of all e-mail. This was twice the number of 2009-spam peak on July 28, when condensed link carrying spam counted to 10bn messages or 9.3% of all e-mail.

Says Paul Wood, Senior Analyst of MessageLabs Intelligence; spammers will invariably exploit all tactics which pose increasing difficulty towards stopping their spam mails. WebProNews reported this on July 22, 2010.

Wood further says that the condensed URLs spammers embed on their spam mails contain genuine and high profile domains. As a result, it makes it more and more difficult for conventional spam filters in recognizing the junk messages.

What's more, the condensed web-links in spam mails that were most often clicked received over 63,000 visits. Says Wood; spammers currently obtain a return rate of one-tenth per hundred returns so far as returns from clicks are concerned. SC Magazine reported this on July 22, 2010.

Wood, however, says that the total numbers of returns is largely compensatory since the click-through attempts are not merely utilizing the spammers' resources. According to him, it's not easy to determine the number of people following spam links; however, with condensed URLs it may be possible to find such a number.

In the meantime remaking about the outcomes, CEO David Jevans at Ironkey stated that Internet criminals were attempting at discovering methods to infect organizations while using e-mail for dispatching spam in which 90% were phishing e-mails. SC Magazine reported this on July 22, 2010.

Jevans further stated that condensed web-links weren't blocked therefore one had to check in greater detail. He added that all spam mails were fully automated while the websites offering the shortening services didn't have the so-called CAPTCHA mechanism, hence it was greatly difficult to monitor.

Related article: Spammers Continue their Campaigns Successfully

» SPAMfighter News - 8/4/2010