Volumes of spam email sent across the web are said to
have dived this week after a US company allegedly hosting spam
botnets was taken offline by the authorities.
San Jose-based McColo was allegedly responsible for up to 75%
of the spam sent in the US.
The Washington Post reports the company hosted websites for
foreign companies who were engaged in the online sale of a variety
of products and "services", including counterfeit pharmaceuticals
and child pornography.
The paper's "Security Fix" blog had reported "suspicious"
activity to McColo's service providers.
Spam is usually sent using networks of hacked computers known as
"botnets", with the messages being sent without the knowledge of
the computer's owner.
It is alleged McColo helped to host a number of these
botnets.
Picture:
Rex Features