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Malicious Spam Up Eight Fold In 3Q
SecurityProNews
Staff Writer
2008-10-29
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The number of malicious attachments increased eight-fold in the third quarter of 2008 over the previous quarter, according to Sophos. Between July and September, one in every 416 email messages contained a malicious attachment, up from one in every 3,333.
 | | Malicious Spam Up Eight Fold In 3Q |  |
US-based spammers are about 18.9 percent of the problem, but Russia has vamped up its efforts by almost doubling the amount of spam emanating from the country, increasing output from 4.4 percent to 8.3 percent. India made its Sophos Dirty Dozen list debut, entering at number seven, or 3.5 percent. By continent, Asia for outspams everyone else, sending out almost 40 percent of it, compared to Europe's 24 percent.
The security company says much of the increase is the result of several large-scale attacks, notably the Trojan-carrying Penguin Panic Apple iPhone game. Honorable mentions go to a masquerading Microsoft security patch, and FedEx or UPS notices of failed delivery.
Such scale and sophistication indicates that spammers have gotten smarter, more organized, and greedier. "In the past hackers were more like teenage mischief-makers breaking into sheds to see what they could find," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "Today they're hardened criminals wearing hobnail boots with no qualms about breaking into your home and stealing everything they can get their hands on."
There has also been an escalation in social networking spam. But Cluley also says if you have a Mac or run UNIX, you're not near as at risk. If ever there was a good instance to not be cared about, this would be the one.
"For Apple Mac and Unix lovers, these major spam attacks just mean a clogged-up inbox, not an infected operating system. But organized criminals are causing havoc for Windows users in the hunt for cold hard cash."
Here's Sophos's Dirty Dozen:
1. United States-18.9%
2. Russia-8.3%
3. Turkey-8.2%
4. China/Hong Kong-5.4%
5. Brazil-4.5%
6. South Korea-3.8%
7. India-3.5%
8. Argentina-2.9%
9. Italy-2.8%
10. United Kingdom-2.7%
11. Columbia-2.4%
12. Thailand-2.4%
The remaining 34.3% are scattered out in countries across the gloabe.
About the Author:
SecurityProNews is a daily online and email publication focusing on internet security issues.
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