Symantec bids for anti-spam company

Anti-virus (AV) company Symantec has made a $370 million (R2.4 billion) offer to buy US-based anti-spam maker Brightmail, reports CBS.

If successful, it would help Symantec offer a better product to consumers, said Symantec senior VP Steve Cullen. "Put both anti-spam and AV together, and there's an opportunity to provide a solution that will really solve customer issues."

Although Symantec already has an anti-spam solution, Cullen said the purchase of Brightmail would better equip the company to target the business market.

The acquisition is expected to go through by the end of July.

Thousands of German politicians' and civil servants' e-mail accounts were brought to a stand-still after facing a barrage of more than half a million unsolicited e-mails.

E-mails that were sent either arrived days late, or not at all, reports Reuters. A ministry official said computer security experts hoped the problem could be solved by Friday.

Officials remain unclear whether the barrage was the result of an intentional attack or an internal computer glitch.

The attack came as German parliamentarians were busy discussing the implementation of anti-spamming laws.

USA Today reports that a new Internet service will be launched next week to allow users to secretly track the e-mail they send. The service, DidTheyReadIt.com, will allow subscribers to see whether someone opens their e-mail, how long the recipient keeps it open and even where geographically the recipient is reading it.

The recipient will not be made aware that the mail is being tracked. Internet experts say the service invades people's privacy and is unlikely to be well received.

"It will freak people out," says Internet expert Esther Dyson.