Spam Volume in March 2012 Declines Only Slightly

Kaspersky Lab, which released its March 2012 spam report, shows that spam volumes from the total e-mail reduced 3.5% during March 2012 over the previous month of February 2012.

The new spam study reveals that the twenty greatest sources of junk e-mails continued to be same in March 2012, with the same countries as of February 2012 occupying the foremost 6 positions although South Korea and Vietnam interchanged ranks -the latter coming 4th and the former coming 5h.

Maria Namestnikov, security researcher at Kaspersky Lab explained that the first 3 ranks went to India (12.3%), Indonesia (7.5%) and Brazil (6.7%). While spam rates might've declined, the menace continued as severe as before with junk e-mail distributors adopting more-and-more refined techniques of scam, she said. Kaspersky.com published this dated April 19, 2012.

Besides, according to Namestnikov, it was ever-since the Calicos/Hlux network-of-bots' latest version got dismantled that the spam rates declined. During March 2012, Kaspersky Lab in combination with companies namely Dell SecureWorks, CrowdStrike, alongside HoneyNet Project dismantled the Kelihos.B botnet.

The spam study thereafter reveals that the topics most commonly utilized within the spam campaigns all through March 2012 related to Easter, St. Patrick's Day as also iPad3's recent launch.

Of the several spam campaigns related to St. Patrick's Day, security company Kaspersky states that the spammers, for acquiring the notice of e-mail recipients, resort to partner programs that abuse any holiday, celebration or same kind of event. Within the current example, it's Leprechaun-festooned spam websites, which present counterfeit designer watches.

Expectedly, spammers profusely exploited Easter and advertised similar counterfeit trendy products within unsolicited electronic mails supposedly presenting Easter cards.

Different from the St. Patrick's Day spam messages, spam mails on Easter, in addition to diverting end-users onto one highly ornamental website, carried signs and references of Easter as within the real e-mails.

Finally, phishing e-mails in their aggregate number dropped 50% from the February 2012 aggregate, being responsible for 0.01% of the total e-mail. Phishers targeted financial institutions the maximum. Nearly, 25% of phishing identifications were of those websites that helped rob from e-pay as well as bank accounts, Kaspersky's report indicates.

Related article: Spam Scam Bags a Scottish Connection

» SPAMfighter News - 4/27/2012