Spam Mails Continue to Engulf Users

A research by e-mail security firm SoftScan revealed that spam is still overwhelming e-mails beating all efforts to reduce its presence.

According to SoftScan's research, of the total e-mails it assessed during May 2007, 88.5% was spam. Also, this figure is unchanged from the previous month of April. This was despite drop in virus levels to 1.4% of all e-mails detected, SoftScan said.

Even after the significant event of the arrest of Robert Soloway, the so-called Spam King, and evidence of decrease in image spam in May this year, SoftScan has ruled out the likely drop of spam levels in significant amounts anytime soon. The security company said initiatives to contain spamming like the arrest of spam king Robert Soloway has hardly done much to reduce the volume of unsolicited e-mails entering users' inboxes and behaving nastily. Spam is such a regular affair in countries like the United States that it has become a part of life for Americans.

If spam gangs suffered a loss they could be inventive, SoftScan warned. According to the security firm, spammers who like any businessman would have contingency plans ready if they meet challenges and need to replace their original methods.

Some people think spam volume would come down after capturing the 'Spam King', said Diego d'Ambra, CTO of SoftScan. But Ambra feels those people are wrong in under estimating a spammer. Just as every business prepares a simultaneous dependable plan, so do spammers and they are not any different in this, said Ambra. Sourcewire published Ambra's comments on June 1, 2007. Although spam had been relatively low over the previous eight weeks, an unusual spike by 25% just after that shows the presence of spammers and that they mean business as usual, Ambra added.

SoftScan further believes that links to graphic or picture websites replacing image spam would probably not be a successful spamming tactic. This is because a link embedded in e-mail is far easier to spot than the more complex image spam. However, it could indicate that spammers would perhaps not be as successful with image spam as they hoped the technique would be.

Related article: Spam Scam Bags a Scottish Connection

» SPAMfighter News - 6/14/2007