Over 60% of the world's spam e-mail is now being generated by "zombie" PCs - hijacked PCs infected by malware.
This is according to a six-monthly world spam report issued by anti-virus software firm Sophos.
Brett Myroff, CEO of local Sophos distributor, NetXactics, says using hijacked PCs to send spam means that the culprits need not be in the same country as the innocent computers they are using to send their spam.
Myroff says spammers are turning to illegitimate providers to fuel their success, with their key associations being with virus writers and hackers.
"As they are finding it harder to sell their goods via bulk mails, they are likely to turn to other criminal activities. Spammers and virus writers can exploit unprotected computers anywhere in the world. And, everyone has a part to play in the fight against spam," he adds.
"Improved security in Windows XP SP2 is helping home users to better defend themselves against computer hijacking. The concern now, however, is that spammers will turn to other Internet-based money-making schemes, such as spyware and identity theft malware," says Myroff.
The Sophos report noted that the US remains the world's worst offender, sending 26.35% of the spam sent worldwide between April and September this year. However, this is a significant drop compared with the same period last year, when it was responsible for 41.5% of all spam.
South Korea was the second biggest spam producer, with 15.7 %, up from 8.9% in the same period last year. The other culprits listed in the top 12 spam culprits each produced less than 4% of the world's spam. They included China, France, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, Spain, Japan, UK, Pakistan and Germany.
A sharp drop in spam sent from North American computers is the result of jail sentences for spammers, tighter legislation and better system security, says Sophos.
ISPs sharing knowledge on how to crack down on spammers, and authorities enforcing the CAN-SPAM legislation, have helped North America tackle spammers on their doorsteps. Some of the most prolific spammers have been forced either to quit the business or relocate overseas.
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