Increased Spam Causing Heightened Fear of ID-Theft and Viruses

In accordance with a fresh study by Cloudmark that Harris Interactive conducted online, 42% of Americans using e-mail have observed a rise in spam during 2009, and feel extremely scared that such malicious e-mails will result in computer viruses as well as ID-theft.

A lot of adults reported that as a consequence of answering to spam mails, they had got even more junk messages or viruses. Over half of European and American users (54% and 55% respectively) said that the most ordinary reactions to replying to spam were getting additional spam or becoming infected with a virus.

Aside this, 56% of the adult population in China stated that during 2009, they had got a higher volume of spam.

The survey further disclosed that 40% of adults in USA who had even once got a spam mail stated that they had got junk messages through social-networking websites during the preceding 12 months. In contrast, 74% and 35% of adults in China and Europe respectively reported having got spam related to social networks.

Moreover, e-mail operators felt the greatest fear from junk messages as they could result in computer viruses. 74% of adults in USA, 69% in China, and 69% in Europe said so. The next greatest fear was of ID-theft, with 56% of U.S adults, 51% of European adults, and 46% of Chinese adults reporting likewise.

Said Senior Vice-President of Engineering Leon Rishniw for Cloudmark, the general public was scared of contracting infection, especially when spam was becoming increasingly sophisticated. According to him, spam was a medium for malware to get installed and if such messages didn't bear a payload, they had malicious web-links. SCMagazine published this on August 3, 2010.

The VP continued that the current study proved that there was yet plenty of work required for safeguarding end-users from spam as well as the dangers which it brought along. Cloudmark published this on August 2, 2010.

Rishniw suggested that users should adopt the essential methodologies for strengthening their defenses vis-à-vis e-mail attacks. Moreover, they must be increasingly watchful of viewing e-mails and only reply to those that arrived from familiar sources.

Related article: Increasing Security Breaches in Canada Causing Loss of $637,000 a year

» SPAMfighter News - 8/12/2010