Small Business Users Are Easy Targets For Phishers

Small businesses as well as 'mum n dad' users are prone to falling in to a 'black-hole' while using spam-filtering solutions, as per Peter Stewart - expert in data security. Arnnet published this on May 28, 2007.

Stewart divulges that the techniques that most anti spam filters use work sufficiently well for the computer savvy users & large organizations with their technical staff having both time & patience for adjusting and balancing their filters. On the other hand, small firms often lack the time, resources, and expertise to tackle spam filters' vagaries.

As per Stewart most users of 'mum n dad' often accept the default setting in their filters, and the input received through TotalBlock users indicates this to be extremely lax in many cases, plaguing users with flood of spam.

Globally, the scam threat is further worsening, and viewing the current scenario this daunting trend is set to continue this year as well. Two years before, Bill Gates, Microsoft Chairman, had confidently declared that by the year 2006 spam wouldn't be a threat. However, in reality, the situation has further worsened over this period and scam today pose a serious threat for global businesses.

Paul Hunter, home user, is proficient in dealing with spam as he's an ex-senior executive for IBM. Line was drawn by him post receiving more than 20 spam per day. Similarly, some other prestigious computer experts also have the proficiency in dealing with spam.

According to Stewart, vendors hesitate from supporting the challenge response since it represents a substitute to a method generating continuous profits for them. They provide solutions that keep on hunting for spam emails and updating the filters for defending against them, which is a time consuming and in turn expensive process.

But the latest techniques used by scammers to evade filters, comprising of images' use in place of the text, fail on being faced by the challenge response technique to deal with the pervasive problem of spam.

"Email administrators don't go for an alternative or outsourcing until they are totally frustrated. And, while seeking the alternatives they usually tend to choose challenge response solutions," divulged Stewart. Arnnet published this on May 28, 2007.

Related article: Small Organizations Too Can Be Hackers’ Target

» SPAMfighter News - 6/7/2007