Spam news

A selection of recent media items about unsolicited commercial email.

February 2010

Internet HoneyGrid reveals 95% of user generated content is spam or malicious

A report from Websense indicates that 95% of user-generated posts on websites are spam or malicious, 71% of sites with malicious code are legitimate sites that have been compromised, and 81% of emails during the second half of 2009 contained a malicious link.
Daniweb -- 06.02.2010

December 2009

Good Guys Bring Down the Mega-D Botnet

Three security researchers from FireEye have disabled the Mega-D botnet by taking down its command-and-control servers.
PC World -- 27.12.2009

Fake websites shut down by police

More than 1,000 websites that claim to sell cut-price designer goods have been shut down. The sites, which advertise brands including Ugg boots, Tiffany jewellery and Links of London, were removed by the Metropolitan Police.
BBC News -- 03.12.2009

November 2009

Spam's new flavours

As email filters get better at detecting spam, spammers are increasingly turning to other venues.
The Guardian -- 19.11.2009

October 2009

Security firm chokes sprawling spam botnet

The security firm Fireeye has reportedly taken down the Mega-D botnet by launching a coordinated attack on its command-and-control servers.
The Register -- 10.10.2009

Botnets responsible for majority of spam says MessageLabs report

A report from Messagelabs suggests that nearly 88% of all spam originates from botnets, accounting for 150 billion email messages per day.
The Tech Herald -- 01.10.2009

September 2009

SEC sues CellCyte and its executives

The SEC has filed suit against CellCyte Genetics, charging that the executives of the company misled investors. A stock promoter paid by the company is also facing charges related to an illegal fax and email spam campaign promoting it.
Seattle Times -- 08.09.2009

August 2009

Legacy chief exec Mark Uselton appeals penalties

CEO Mark Uselton of Legacy Trading has appealed against a decision to fine him and expel him and his company from the securities industry. Uselton’s father and cousin agreed earlier this year to pay nearly $4 million in fines and penalties in connection with a pump-and-dump penny stock scheme.
NewsOK -- 13.08.2009

July 2009

Software Developer Pleads Guilty to Spam Charge

A Virginia software developer has pleaded guilty to charges related to creating and marketing software designed to send bulk commercial e-mail messages. David S. Patton pleaded guilty Tuesday to aiding and abetting violations of the CAN-SPAM Act by Alan Ralsky.
PC World -- 08.07.2009

Spammers Shorten Their URLs

MessageLabs reports that use of URL shorteners by spammers has exploded, with 2% of all spam now featuring shortened URLs.
New York Times -- 08.07.2009

Waledac worm targeting July 4 spam offensive

The Waledac worm is gearing up for a spam campaign related to the July 4 holiday. At least 18 domain names have been registered related to fireworks and Independence Day that will be used to trick people into downloading malware.
CNET News -- 02.07.2009

When it Comes to Spam, Everything Old is New Again

Google reports that spam levels are up once again, and spammers are re-using old techniques such as image spam, perhaps in an attempt to probe the effectiveness of spam filters.
ReadWriteWeb -- 01.07.2009

June 2009

Botnets Churn Spam, Then Back Again

Security experts report a rise in spam originating from botnets, with botnets accounting for 80% of all spam sent.
eWeek Security Watch -- 30.06.2009

Botnets lead the way in spam charge

A study shows that spam made up 90.4 percent of all e-mail traffic in June, with botnets accounting for over 80 percent of unsolicited messages.
ZDNet Asia -- 30.06.2009

Accused Spam King Alan Ralsky Pleads Guilty

Alan Ralsky pleaded guilty on Monday to running a multi-million dollar international stock fraud scam powered by junk e-mail. Ralsky and his son-in-law face possible prison terms and fines of up to $1 million.
Washington Post -- 28.06.2009

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