Security news and products; don't let Christmas spam fill your email stocking.

Experts at SophosLabs, Sophos's global network of virus, spyware and spam analysis centers, have identified a new marketing trick being used by spammers in their attempt to get a hold of legitimate email addresses and user information in the run-up to the holiday season: they are offering to send your child a letter directly from Santa. The unsolicited email campaign, which includes subject lines like "Letter From Santa For Your Child" and "Santa Letter from the North Pole", offers a personalised letter addressed to your child. The email, which has been seen in several of our global spam traps, also requests you to get in touch if you received the email in error.

"This type of spam message preys on parents wanting to give their child something special for the holiday season," said, senior security consultant for Sophos. "Just like any other time of the year, users need to remain vigilant about spam, even if it seemingly offers something desirable. Rather than confirming your email address to a complete stranger by replying to this unsolicited message and delete the email".

Politicans Add To The Spam Problem

Sophos has reported that both the Republican and Democratic parties sent out unsolicited emails campaigning for support in advance of the recent US mid-term elections.

The emails were sent out in the days leading up to the November 7th election date, and urged recipients to take to the polls and cast their votes. Samples were picked up by Sophos's global network of spamtraps--providing evidence that the emails have not been targeted specifically at US voters, and could have been distributed to lists created through online email address 'harvesting'. "A Sophos spamtrap is not a legitimate US voter, so why did it receive emails telling it to vote in the mid-term elections?" Sophos said. "Given that the internet is already being clogged up with spam, do we really need US politicians adding to the problem by indiscriminately sending out these unwanted messages?" Sophos spamtraps have received emails from both the Republican and Democratic political parties. According to Sophos, while legally the emails are not classed as spam--as US political parties are exempt from legislation such as the CAN-SPAM act--the campaigns bear worrying echoes of traditional spamming activity. Sophos experts note that recipients have not necessarily opted-in to receiving political messages.

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