It has taken spammers just two months to recover fromthe
shutdown of the website responsible for sending out most of the
spam on the internet.
Spam levels are back to 'normal' at 80% of e-mail traffic,
reports software security firmSymantec.
McColowas a website that serviced spammers. Last month security
experts persuaded the networks that provided McColo with bandwidth
to cut itslines. That single act took almost two-thirds of spam off
the internet within hours.
Symantec's
State of Spam Report for February shows that spammers are back
in force. They are increasingly talented at identifying social
trends and popular activities in key areas, Symantec says.
Barack Obama messages were popular in the run-up to the US
presidential election and inauguration. Now spammers are using the
Chinese passion for gambling to spread spam. As Macau is the only
place in China where gambling is legal, spammers are offering the
opportunity to gamble online.
Valentine's Day is bringing out the prurient, with "Increase
your length, the best Valentine's gift", and "Show off your length
for Valentine's Day" being popular spam headlines.
The US is still the main source for spam (23%), with China
second (7%) and Russia (4%). South America contributed 15%.