Spam Getting More and More Malicious

A new study from security firm Sophos reveals that spam is getting more malicious than ever. In the 4th quarter they reported the following stats:

October – 1 in every 256 emails sent included a malcious attachment.

November – 1 in every 384 emails sent included a malicious attachment.

December – 1 in every 2000 emails sent included an attachment. (Experts say the drop off is most likely related to the McColo shut down)

The study says spammers are getting more and more creative in their attempts to find victims and are making more use of such social networking sites as Facebook and Twitter. Such sites allow spammers to personalize their messages, making it more likely that the links in them will be clicked on. Spammers are also abandoning simple sales in favor of spam meant to lure recipients into visiting malicious websites or download malcious attachments meant to steal personal information. Here’s an excerpt from the report:

          “Spammers really took to using sites like Facebook and Twitter as a vehicle for their spam antics during the last three months of 2008,” he said. “Cybercriminals have cottoned onto the fact that social networking users can be more easily fooled into clicking on a link that appears to have come from a trusted Facebook friend, than if it arrived as an unsolicited email in their inbox. The notorious Nigerian 419 scammers have even evolved, masquerading as Facebook friends in order to trick unwary users into parting with valuable sensitive and financial information. Ultimately, while users are still falling for these scams, the fraudsters will continue. And while the authorities are making great progress, everyone must take steps to ensure they don’t fall victim.”

These days spammers make more money selling personal info than they do selling fake pharmaceuticals, male enhancement products, or fake watches, and that makes protecting your personal data more critical than ever.