MX Messaging Resources

April 2007 - Posts

• Virus Authors Use Google Ads to Spread Malware

  Maware authors have employed Google's paid advertisements to direct surfers to virus infected websites. Hackers are buying paid advertisments for keywords such as Better Business Bereau, BBB, and Cars.com. When surfers click on a hacker's advertisment Read More... Posted Monday, April 30, 2007 1:38 PM by Joel | 0 Comments Filed under: ppc malware, web-based malware

• Web Based Malware Increases

  There were 23,000 new cases of Web Based Malware in the first quarter of 2007, compared with 9,000 in the first quarter of 2006. This represents an increase of approximately 150%. 70% of infected web pages were legitimate sites that had been hacked (recent, Read More... Posted Monday, April 30, 2007 1:18 PM by Joel | 0 Comments Filed under: Malware, Tactics

• Malware Spam Offers Camera Phone Footage of VT Shootings

  A twisted social engineering ploy offering camera phone footage of the Virginia Tech shootings is being used by malware spammers to get viewers to open spam messages containing a picture of the shooter and click on a link that installs a malicious screensaver Read More... Posted Friday, April 20, 2007 11:33 AM by Joel | 0 Comments Filed under: Spam, Malware, new tactics, social engineering

• Spam to Exceed Legitimate Emails in 2007

  According to research results released by IDC , the volume of spam will exceed the volume of legitimate email in 2007. IDC projects that Spam will account for 40 billion messages in 2007, out of a predicted total of 97 billion (not including automated Read More... Posted Friday, April 13, 2007 1:26 PM by Joel | 0 Comments Filed under: Spam Rates, Spam Volume

• Paris Hilton and Jenna Jameson Image Spam Campaign

  A new wave of image spam, much like the Britney Spears Spam campaign last week, promising nude picture of Paris Hilton is spreading through the net today. The subject line promise nude pictures of Paris Hilton. The actual image is a graphic nude photo Read More... Posted Friday, April 13, 2007 1:14 PM by Joel | 1 Comments Filed under: Spam, Malware, Britney Spears, Image Spam, Paris Hilton

• Email Worm Claims US Launches Missile Strike on Iran

  An email worm is circulating with subject lines claiming the US has launched a missile strike on Iran. The most common subject line thus far is "USA Missle Strike: Iran War just have started". Other known subject lines are: "USA Just Have Started World Read More... Posted Monday, April 09, 2007 12:12 PM by Joel | 0 Comments Filed under: user training, email worms

• Spam Costs $712 In Productivity Per Employee, Per Year

  Research results released by Nucleus Research suggest that spam costs $712 in worker productivity per employee, per year. The study found that business email users typically receive 21 spam messages in their inboxes per day. Workers spend 16 seconds identifying Read More... Posted Tuesday, April 03, 2007 1:33 PM by Joel | 0 Comments Filed under: Spam, anti-spam, spam costs

• Switzerland Makes Sending Spam Illegal

  A new law in Switzerland banning spam took effect on Sunday, April 1, 2007. The law makes sending spam from Switzerland a punishable offense and brings Switzerland's anti-spam laws into line with the US and EU. Offenders can face up to three years in Read More... Posted Monday, April 02, 2007 1:23 PM by Joel | 0 Comments Filed under: Botnets, Spam Laws

• Europe Sees First "Pump and Dump" Campaign

  Europe's first pump and dump spam scampaign was unleashed late last week. The campaign was designed to artificially manipulate the price of a German company's stock. Pump and Dump has long been a problem for American penny, or Pink Sheet stocks. The US Read More... Posted Monday, April 02, 2007 1:14 PM by Joel | 0 Comments Filed under: Pump and Dump, Operation Spamalot