02 Jul 2009
Security researchers at Google have warned of the imminent emergence of a new crop of spam providers.
The company said in its latest quarterly spam report that spam levels had climbed six per cent since last year, and 53 per cent since the first quarter of 2009.
Among the trends noticed by researchers was a jump in image spam. The technique uses an embedded image file to display the spam message in an effort to avoid traditional spam filters that search through text.
The technique was thought to have fallen out of favour with spammers, but has shown a resurgence recently.
Other trends were the increased use of malware attachments, and Google noted a recent spike in malware-laden attacks related to botnets.
The recent shutdown of hosting firm 3FN caused spam levels to drop by some 30 per cent, but Google warned that levels will almost certainly return to normal as new spam sources step in to fill the void.
"Over the coming months, we anticipate watching new players once again drive spam levels back up," wrote Google messaging and security team member Amanda Kleha in a blog post.
"Since 4 June, spammers have already made up a significant amount of ground, climbing 14 per cent from the initial drop."
Researchers at MessageLabs suggested earlier this week that botnet activity was responsible for 83 per cent of the global spam load.
Latest stories from Web
Related articles
Related jobs
Poll
Are you confident that the UK's IT infrastructure is secure from attack in the wake of the Flame malware revelations?
V3 examines the key strengths and weaknesses of Samsung's latest iPhone killer
Connect with V3.co.uk
Social networking is almost ubiquitous. This white paper examines the benefits and risks and it looks at the different ways companies can reconcile them
The importance of understanding your infrastructure
Oracle E-Business Analyst / Functional Consultant - Supply...
SAP consultant Production: SAP MM, IM, PP, APO, Brussels...
Full time DBA with 5-10 years experience will be preffered...
Software Development Manager - Scottish Borders Agile...
Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies. IThound.com brings you over 2,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.
Do you agree?