Internet Defense Technologies

The better question is do Spammers try to take advantage of anything that captivates the American attention?

The obvious answer: YES!!!

Get the idea that these guys are like the evil underworld version of advertisers. If they can get your attention, then by god, they will! Shy of running decapitation videos, they will stop at nothing. Although, that may soon become a gray area…

One security specialist from ZScaler, Michael Sutton, (who by the way, has an uncharacteristic resemblance to the dad from the Movie “The Incredibles”, so, how can you not believe him), stated something to the effect that Spammers who are targeting Olympic fans look so bonafide it is hard to tell that you are being hit with Malware. While that statement may make one feel less feebleminded about the fact that they foolishly got infected with something it nonetheless doesn’t change the fact that it is rampant and very dangerous for the end user.

Ultimately, this is a problem that has to be dealt with in the same way any vicious crime is dealt with, severity, incarceration and possibly public hangings, okay the last might be a little rough, but until then the best defense is a good offense.

Don’t download ANYTHING that you don’t FULLY understand. If you have an IT person make sure you have the latest Malware detection and the most up to the minute Spam solution to prevent the door from opening in the first place. If you are your own IT person talk to a friend, get on message boards, and do your research on real solutions to the problem of Spam!

News about the swine flu is definitely everywhere.  Can’t turn on the TV or read your news feed without seeing something about it.

Of course, this means all those spammers who use current events (of which many of them do) are sending out lots of email with something about swine fu in he subject line.

In this case there have been warnings sent around that some of these emails actually contain malware.  Malware comes from the words MALicious and softWARE, which is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s informed consent.

Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware and other malicious and unwanted software.

With all of wanting to know about the latest news about the swine flu you may open an email that looks like it has news.  DON’T.

If you think there is some new information, you should go to CNN, MSNBC or wherever you get your online news to find out the latest.

If you have already opened an email like that you should have your computer checked for possible malware.  Update and run your virus program (Kaspersky, Norton, Panda, McAfee, etc.) and then your spyware program (like Spybot).

If this spam is getting through your filter, you also need to set up a new filter that will stop the spam from even getting to you, like ours.

Been seeing a lot of complaints about this one, well not really complaints, more like amusement.

Just another example of trying to use buzz words to get you to open a spam email.  It is spam, no reason to open it, go ahead and delete it.

It generally just says this:

<three separate pics that say>

Honest Advice and Amazing Cures from America’s Most Trusted Pharmacist!
Best Price on Net
Worldwide Shipping
Free Pills with every order
<pic> Cialis
<pic>  Levitra
<pic> Viagra
<pic> Cialis Soft
Discover 1,097 drugstore secrets that help you keep more money in your pocket and put more health in your tank!
Click here
<end of pics>

To your health,
<pic of sig>
David Zinczenko
Editor-in-Chief

<pictures of:>
Unsubscribe | Your Privacy Settings

It is true, those who send out spam do NOT proofread their messages (of course no one really thought they did, right?).

I have seen a lot of twitter mentions for email spam which says: “It has been a long time since we did not meet!” (this is a link to the twitter search for this if you are interested in seeing who).

Since we all know spammers aren’t exactly the upper crust of the world it doesn’t really surprise any of us to know they can’t really write.

However somehow they keep going and keep sending stuff. How and why? I have written several articles which you can find to the right under “Quick List of Interesting Posts” that will hopefully help answer some of these questions.

Of course, as always, my recommendation is to just get a good spam filter (like ours - you knew that was coming) so you don’t even have to worry about it.

That honor goes to Angelina Jolie who is the most popular celebrity name used by spammers to tempt people into opening unsolicited email, according to new research.

The other famous figures in the top 10 table ranged from those well-known internet favourites Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, to less obviously appealing figures like Hillary Clinton and Osama bin Laden.

Spammers use the names of celebrities - frequently with a sexual twist - to encourage people to open emails which often contain damaging viruses.

Spam email bait top 10:
1) Angelina Jolie
2) Barack Obama
3) Paris Hilton
4) Britney Spears
5) Jessica Simpson
6) Hillary Clinton
7) George W Bush
8) Osama Bin Laden
9) Brad Pitt
10) Michael Jackson

Original article: Angelina Jolie most popular spam email ‘bait’ from UK Telegraph

With the large number of people saving trees and sending out electronic holiday cards rather than paper ones there is a lot of greeting cards flying through cyberspace.

The spammers know this and are sending out a lot of their own greeting card spam.

An easy way to spot greeting card spam is if the subject and greeting are vague. Legit greeting card emails will list the sender’s name in the subject line and address you by name in the email itself.

Make sure you recognize the sender before you click through and never install anything from these emails.

Been awhile since I did a collection of email spam subject lines. I just put up the ones from very recently, might have fun to do a huge one, but that is too time consuming:

• How to communicate effectively via email
• Success is what your wear
• Global Orgasms for Peace
• A Pac-Man for your arteries
• IT consultant of perfect love making art
• Perk up your pecs
• Oi. You. Zombie Apocalypse. Now.
• Your mommy’s friends are weird (or all gay)
• Someone please for to helps me!
• Agents wanted: For CSI
• WORM CANNIBALISM TO GAIN MEMORIES OF DEAD WORMS
• Win $1000 a day
• You’ve got cash

Well, the spammers are definitely up on their news. They do seem to do a pretty good job of keeping track of what is talked about and trying to use it to their advantage.

Of course, if you haven’t heard that Barack Obama is our new president elect, then you might have been living under a rock.

However, as a heads-up, the spammers are using his name all over their subject lines to try and get people to click on the email and open it.

My advice as always, don’t click on the email and get your news from the right sources. Go straight to your favorite real news source (CNN, Yahoo News, Google news, MSNBC or whatever) and read up there.

Some links for you:
http://www.itbrief.co.nz/
http://www.abc3340.com/news/
http://pandalabs.pandasecurity.com/
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/

Warning: This is a little bit of a rant, sorry.

It is great fun to watch the spam subject lines that people talk about on twitter. Just do a search on Twitter search for “spam subjects” (or click here).

Then there is going through my hotmail account and laughing at the stuff that makes it through their filter.

Then there is the spam I get on my facebook account, people forwarding those scammy alerts to their entire address book.

Also those people on facebook who don’t seem to understand that because I said once I couldn’t make their event, doesn’t mean that if you send me the invite again I will suddenly change my mind.

Also those new twitter followers who just post one tweet after another about their product, all with links back to their site.

Don’t even get my started on MySpace.

Seems every new system that goes up, someone works out how to spam it. People, learn to participate in the community, not abuse it!

Thought I would put up a few sample spam subject lines.

I hope this makes it easier for you to spot and delete the spam without opening it. There are some which are pretty obvious, but sometimes they try to put either a very confusing headline or something that sounds newsy.

Here you go:

• Love is a smoke made with the perfume of sighs.
• we’re in a recession, but you have a new mail from cupidista
• Obama shows McCain what a real debate should be
• Pull yourself together! Diabetes is not a sentence!
• If your whole life is shit, at least you can have a decent watch on
• Owen Wilson: The Latest News
• Malawi lauds Madonna for helping orphans
• Make 150k yearly selling mortgage protection
• Stock Markets claim more lives as plunges continue
• Forensic Scientists are needed in your area!