(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Spam levels for May 2009 have risen to the volumes seen before spam haven McColo was taken down in November, according to computer security provider McAfee (www.mcafee.com), having risen nine percent compared to May last year.
According to McAfee’s June 2009 Spam Report released Monday, despite the McColo setback, spam has been catching up to its previous levels. The annual spike in spam that usually happens in March did not happen until April this year, when between April 1 and 8, global spam volumes almost doubled, moving from a three month-low to a four-month high.
McAfee also warns users that spam is growing more sophisticated, using phishing techniques such as using trusted brand names, and pulling images and topics from the headlines to make the messages seem legitimate. The top headline spam for May was swine flu (also known as H1N1), accounting for three percent of global spam in May. Conversely, immediately following the record highs surrounding his inauguration, Obama spam dropped by 90 percent in his first days in office.
“Users beware: you may see less spam in your inbox due to better spam filters, but don’t let your guard down,” McAfee Avert Labs researcher Adam Wosotowsky said in a statement. “More people are falling victim as clever spammers hijack popular brands to trick users into divulging sensitive information or opening up their computers to attack.”
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