Spam could soon reach 95%

The global junk mail plague is to get dramatically worse as spammers use victims` PCs as anonymous proxies to send e-mail via their Internet service providers` mail relay.

According to anti-spam organisation Spamhaus, spam could account for 95% of all e-mail sent by mid-2006.

"New versions of proxy packages released by Russian spammers operating in the US now have a feature which instructs the hijacked proxy to send the spam out via the mail relay of the ISP to which the proxy is downstream," the company says.

Before this explosion in proxy-generated spam, most e-mail traffic arriving at ISPs` mail servers came mainly from two sources: sent directly by the spammer, or sent by the spammer through a hijacked computer (proxy), Vnunet reports.

But Spamhaus warns that the source of incoming spam is changing, and ISPs are seeing far more spam coming directly from the major mail relays of other ISPs.

Microsoft chief security executive Mike Nash claims Windows "compares favourably" with the Linux operating systems from Red Hat and Novell.

"Year-to-date for 2005, Microsoft has fixed 15 vulnerabilities affecting Windows Server 2003. In the same time period, for just this year, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 users have had to patch 34 vulnerabilities and SuSE Enterprise Linux 9 users have had to patch over 78 vulnerabilities."

Nash also states that the number of patches released should not be the only criteria users apply to tell if Microsoft is doing its job. "This is just one measure, and it does not take into consideration all of the other progress we are making, with security guidance for customers, improving security manageability, and introducing innovative security solutions and technologies.

According to InformationWeek, Nash also talked up Microsoft`s work on a desktop anti-virus product. He did not mention any specifics, but says the company is "working hard on it".

Microsoft and pharmaceutical company Pfizer have joined forces to crack down on spammers, reports Guardian Unlimited.

The companies yesterday filed 17 lawsuits aimed at cracking down on spammers selling cheaper generic versions of the Viagra impotence drug. The companies said the action was the result of a seven-month investigation into a number of Web sites advertising Viagra.

Microsoft`s legal counsel, Brad Smith, described the actions as "another wake-up call to those who abuse the Internet for illegal purposes".

Pfizer has filed suits against two sites, CanadianPharmacy and E-Phamarcy Direct, and actions against 10 other domain names using the Viagra brand. Microsoft filed civil actions against the spammers who send out junk e-mails to promote the sites.