Experts are worried about the security protection on
Gmail after a
recent rise in spam volumes.
Researchers at
MessageLabs
found that spam messages originating from
Google's
webmail service doubled last month to reach roughly 2.6 per cent of all webmail
spam.
MessageLabs believes that this points to a possible breach of Gmail's spam
protections, in particular the 'Captcha' system.
Captcha codes are the input boxes in which a user copies a sequence of
letters or numbers from an image. The system is designed to prevent spammers
registering multiple accounts automatically.
"There are several approaches a spammer can take to defeat a Captcha," said
Mark Sunner, chief security analyst at MessageLabs.
"Whether they do so using an algorithm, a 'mechanical Turk' or combination of
the two, email providers are feeling the pressure to keep pace but are limited
to what a human can realistically solve.
There are several approaches a spammer can take to defeat a Captcha
Mark Sunner Chief security analyst, MessageLabs
"This is creating ever more doubt about the long-term effectiveness of
Captcha as a security mechanism for email services."
A Google spokesperson declined to comment on the MessageLabs report, but did
tell vnunet.com that the
company has taken action against the spammers.
"Fighting spam is a never-ending battle," said the spokesperson. "We disabled
these accounts immediately and will continue to do so if they spread."
MessageLabs acknowledged that Gmail is a relatively minor source of spam.
While the February boost brought Gmail's total to 2.6 per cent of webmail spam,
Yahoo
Mail accounts for a whopping 88.7 per cent.
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