Spam Mails Disabled ihug Services

In the last week of October, spam received by ihug increased by 50%. It was a part of global phenomenon mostly generated in Asia. From 75000 customers of ihug, about half experienced 24 hour delay in receiving emails after being attacked by spam.

Cherie Lacey, Communication Manager, ihug, said that jammed email service of ihug was able to evade filtering system as it was incorporated in images and not in text. So, the anti-spam system could not spot it. Consequently, ihug became over-flooded and mails took an extra day to reach users.

ihug reported that it has become the target of critics but is not affected more than any other service provider.

ihug informed that its system has been cleared completely after installing novel servers and modifying its filter software to combat the spam incorporated into images that jammed its system.

TelstraClear and Telecom, the 2 other big ISPs in New Zealand did not endure to the same extent. But a Telecom representative showed his concern over the matter and said that spam was a major industry problem.

Internet NZ vice president David Farrar said that it took quite long to solve the issue. Image based spam could escape the filtering systems of ISPs and therefore, it was responsible for a significant rise in spam reaching personal inboxes.

Security provider SoftScan reported that October saw a steep rise in spam that accounted for around 90% of the global email. Early in the month, spam reported at a record 96%.

But the good part of the story is that spammers are not getting much in this whole process. A court in Australia charged Robert Mansfield, a business seminar promoter in East Perth with a fine of $505 Million under Australia's 2003 Spam Act. His crime was that he sent 280 Million unsought emails.

So what is being done by Kiwis to tackle the problem? Well, it appears nothing! New Zealand is from those few nations lacking anti-spam laws. But the situation may change soon for the good with the introduction of Unsolicited Electronic Messages Bill by David Cunliffe.

That part of legislation first came into light in 2005 and if the buzz is to believed, it could be made into a law very soon.

Related article: Spam Scam Bags a Scottish Connection

» SPAMfighter News - 09-11-2006

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