Sophos, a world leader in protecting businesses against viruses, spyware and spam, has published its latest report on the top 12 spam-relaying countries over the first quarter of 2006.
Experts at SophosLabs scanned all spam messages received in the company`s global network of spam traps, and have revealed that while the United States has continued to make good progress in its efforts to reduce spam-relaying statistics, there is still more spam sent from US computers than any other nation. However, as a continent, North America is now close to being overtaken by Europe, with both lying behind Asia in terms of spam relayed.
The top 12 spam-relaying countries for January to March 2006 are as follows:
1 United States 23.1%
2 China (including Hong Kong) 21.9%
3 South Korea 9.8%
4 France 4.3%
5 Poland 3.8%
6 Spain 3.3%
7 Germany 3%
8 Brazil 2.9%
9 Japan 2%
10 United Kingdom 1.9%
11 Netherlands 1.8%
12 Taiwan 1.6%
Others 20.6%
"While the US accounted for over half of all spam sent two years ago, it is now less than a quarter. This shows that more Americans are protecting their home computers from hackers. The reality is simply that more viruses, worms and Trojan horses are being designed to take over innocent users` computers to steal information or send out spam," says Brett Myroff, CEO of local Sophos distributor, NetXactics.
Through CAN-SPAM legislation and greater information sharing by ISPs, the US has led the way in imposing severe penalties and fines for its most prolific spammers. For example, during the first quarter of 2006, several gang members responsible for distributing massive quantities of pornography admitted their involvement in a criminal spam ring. Jennifer Clason of New Hampshire, Andrew Ellifson of Arizona, and Kirk Rogers of California were part of a gang that spammed out millions of e-mails advertising hardcore adult Web sites, and are scheduled to be sentenced in the next few months.
"While spammers are being brought to justice in the US, they can be based anywhere in the world. The vast majority of spam is generated from zombie computers - hijacked PCs infected by malware - and a combination of technology, legal action, user education and international cooperation is needed to eradicate spam all together," says Myroff.
The reduction in US-relayed spam has had a significant impact on the rest of the chart, with China now closer than ever to the top. Poland, Spain and Germany all saw their spam-relaying percentages rise between Q4 2005, and Q1 2006, while the UK, which was absent altogether from the Q4 2005 dirty dozen, has now re-entered the table in tenth position. These changes have helped Europe challenge North America for second position in the top spam-relaying continents.
The breakdown of spam relaying by continent for January to March 2006 is as follows:
1 Asia 42.8%
2 North America 25.6%
3 Europe 25%
|4 South America 5.1%
5 Australasia 0.8%
6 Africa 0.6%
Others 0.1%
Europe is in danger of overtaking North America as the second worst spam-relaying part of the world. This continental shift is inevitable, because as North America`s percentage continues to fall, the rest of the world is witnessing a rise. "Computer users worldwide need to put better defences in place to prevent their computers from being converted into spam-spewing zombies," Myroff says.
Sophos recommends that computer users ensure they keep their anti-virus software up-to date, use a properly configured firewall and install the latest operating system security patches. Businesses must also look to implement a best practice policy regarding e-mail account usage.
Share
Sophos is a world leader in integrated threat management solutions, developing protection against viruses, spyware, spam and policy abuse for business, education and government. Sophos`s reliably-engineered, easy-to-operate products protect more than 35 million users in more than 150 countries. Through 20 years` experience and a global network of threat analysis centres, the company responds rapidly to emerging threats - no matter how complex - and achieves the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the industry.
NetXactics
NetXactics is a South African-based company, focused on the provision of security solutions. It is the sole distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa for UK-based Sophos Plc, one of the leaders in the provision of anti-virus and anti-spam software for the corporate environment.
For more information, visit NetXactics at www.netxactics.co.za.
Editorial contacts