Posted: 17th Aug, 2004 By: MarkJ
The latest shocking statistics from e-mail firm MessageLabs highlights how 63.5% of all mail, since January 2004, is now junk. That's up 37.9% over the same period in 2003. More worrying is the involvement of virus writers:
The MessageLabs Intelligence Email Security report, which analysed email security trends during the first half of 2004, found that the majority of viruses intercepted over those six months had the potential for spam distribution, including the MyDoom, NetSky and Bagle viruses.
Paul Wood, chief information security analyst at MessageLabs, said: The script kiddies that used to be content with causing chaos and enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame have realised spams potential earning power. They are using their virus writing capabilities to hijack computers and create networks of zombie machines that send millions of spam emails.
The preferred method of spamming is now via these botnets [networked computers] and the industry will pay big bucks to hire them out, so it has become cool to spam.
The Web-User item notes that one in every 12 e-mails will now contain a virus, up from one in every 208 during 2003.