Huge increase in virus-infected spam.Virus writers are cashing in from turning other people's PCs into zombies Zombies Companies that continue to operate even though they are insolvent. Also known as living dead. Notes: It's advisable to avoid investing in zombies at all costs their life expectancies are highly unpredictable. sending out spam E-mail that is not requested. Also known as "unsolicited commercial e-mail" (UCE), "unsolicited bulk e-mail" (UBE), "gray mail" and just plain "junk mail," the term is both a noun (the e-mail message) and a verb (to send it). , MessageLabs has warned. A report by the email security services Security services are state institutions for the provision of intelligence, primarily of a strategic nature, but also including protective security intelligence. Examples include the Security Service (MI5) and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) in the United Kingdom, and the company covering January to June this year shows a dramatic increase in virus writers teaming up with spammers to produce a more sophisticated breed of email security threat. Since January, many viruses intercepted by MessageLabs--such as Mydoom and Bagle--have been found to have the potential for spam distribution. Nearly two thirds 63% of all emails the company scanned were identified as spam--and one in every 12 of these contained a virus. This is up from one in 208 in 2003 (0.5 per cent) and one in 392 in 2002 (0.3 per cent). The company has also warned that spammer's have started using spyware Software that sends information about your Web surfing habits to its Web site. Often quickly installed in your computer in combination with a free download you selected from the Web, spyware transmits information in the background as you move around the Web. as a way of targeting more victims. Comment: www.messagelabs.com |
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