'Tis the season to be spammy

The internet security industry is bracing itself to tackle a deluge of spam in the run up to Christmas.

Managed security firm, Network Box, reported sighting a number of ‘test’ spam emails over the weekend – usually the first step in a widespread spam campaign.

Simon Heron, Internet Security Analyst at Network Box, said:
“This is usually a sign that a spammer is testing the waters before a new, orchestrated spam campaign.”

Christmas spam is nothing new – it’s been around so long that it verges on a Christmas tradition.

Hackers send spam emails that look like a Christmas e-greetings card. However, when the recipient clicks to open the card, malicious software is installed on their computer.

This ‘malware’ enables hackers to then take control of the user’s machine, potentially stealing valuable data such as bank, credit card, and identity details.

The good news this year is that the US government is now targeting web hosting firms whose clients include spam gangs.

Hosting service McColo was taken offline last month because it served spamming clients, leading to a 70% reduction in junk mail levels.

Spammers send out millions of emails every day in the hope that one unsuspecting computer user will fall for the bait.

Research by the University of California has found that spammers manage to make millions of dollars in profit every year despite getting only one response from every 12.5 million spam emails sent.