Spam is Getting More Malicious
November 11, 2009
Symantec has released two new reports for the month of November - the State of Spam, and the State of Phishing (both PDFs). The reports highlight a dramatic increase in spam that contains malware. On top of that, junk and malicious email now accounts for close to 9 out of 10 email messages.
The security firm says that a new generation of "Spam Princes" are rising, and that the Asia Pacific region, Japan, and South America have surpassed North America, with regards to where spam is originating from.
"Rising spam levels originating from South America, Asia Pacific and Japan are not altogether surprising when you consider the massive growth of internet connections in these regions," says Amanda Grady, Principal Analyst, Symantec. "Meanwhile, the increased threats to social networking websites is interesting because it shows spammers are hiding behind the reputation and brand trust built by legitimate companies. Social networking sites that have a large user base will continue to be targets of malicious and phishing emails."
Symantec shares the following findings:
- In October, an average of 1.9% of all spam messages contained malware. This equates to a 0.6% increase from September, when the number of messages containing malware hit a maximum of 4.5% of all spam
- Symantec observed a 17% increase from the previous month in all phishing attacks
- 30% of phishing URLs were generated using phishing toolkits; an increase of 24% from the previous month
- Symantec observed a 45% increase from September in non-English phishing sites
- More than 97 Web hosting services were used, which accounted for 8% of all phishing attacks; a decrease of 19% in total Web host URLs when compared to the previous month
Symantec's report of an increase of malware-infected spam is made even more unsettling as news reports surface of computer viruses infecting unknowing victims' machines with child porn.
Have You Read This?
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Safety Top Concern For Users Of Online Classified Sites
September 9, 2009
With online classified sites becoming increasingly popular with Internet users, one of their top priorities is the safety of such sites.
A new survey commissioned by Kijiji, eBay's free local classified site, found 36 percent of visitors to online classified sites are concerned about ads that may be misleading or fraudulent.
More than a quarter (28%) of visitor's worry their email address will be spammed, while 26 percent are concerned about getting a computer virus and 24 percent are concerned about classified ads that may have adult content.
While misleading ads and computer viruses may prevent some consumers from visiting online classified sites, more than half (56%) of those surveyed indicated that people who buy and things via online classified sites are responsible for looking out for themselves.
Kijiji provides the following tips:
Think Local: Making local connections helps reduce fraud. When buying or selling, always meet in person to see the product and exchange funds. Never send or wire money to sellers or buyers.
Ask Questions: To ensure you know exactly what you are considering purchasing, ask about the condition of the item and when it was purchased.
Use the Buddy System: Whether you're selling or buying, bring a friend along with you to check out the item you are considering purchasing or selling. In addition to being a safety precaution, you'll also have someone there to provide a second opinion on your potential purchase.
Be Prepared to Negotiate: Most sellers price their items high, knowing that potential buyers may try to bargain. When purchasing an item, it doesn't hurt to ask the seller if they're willing to be flexible on the price -- you may be surprised at the deal they give you!
Listen to Your Mother: You may not have wanted to take her advice when you were young, but your mother really did mean it when she said, "If something seems too good to be true, it probably is." Like anything else, use your common sense when purchasing an item. If something about an online listing or user raises a red flag for you, trust your gut.
Be Descriptive: Be as descriptive as possible when developing your listing. Include the size, measurements, color, model, style and any other unique features about the item in the description. Also, be sure to take clear images of the item from
