Solution to combat spam attacks
Tech & U, NST - 7 August 2006

Spammers adapt quickly. One day they're sending out mortgage leads using a computer server in Shanghai. The next day, they're sending sales pitches using a zombie PC in Detroit. It's all part of their efforts to avoid getting caught, and to trick ISPs' spam filters into letting their messages through. Barracuda Networks Inc. the company which manufacture the Barracuda Spam Firewall  share with us on how spammers will continue with their sinister growth.

From Spam Zombie to Zombie Armies

Zombie PCs are computers that have been infected by malicious code that allows spammers to use them to send e-mail. By routing junk e-mail through these PCs, spammers can hide their identity and can also save money on the bandwidth required to send large volumes of e-mail. When spammers use a network of PCs instead of just one zombie, it becomes much harder for an ISP to block the messages. Instead of having to block e-mail from just one PC, the ISP is overwhelmed with messages from as many as 20,000 zombie PCs.

Targeted Phishing Attacks

Identity thieves will get more cunning in the coming days. Phishers attempt to trick e-mail recipients into clicking on a link in an e-mail that appears to be from a trusted company. Once recipients go to the counterfeit Web site, they are lured into providing their personal information. Phishing spam is also getting far more targeted and frequent.

Special-Order Spam

AOL reps say that in 2006 we'll also be seeing more "special-order" spam, in which phishers play off of security concerns, especially the fear that your identity has already been stolen. Already, we are seeing more messages with the subject line "here is your order conformation" or messages that look like completed orders that ask you to "'click here' if this isn't your order." Clicking on the link in the messages typically leads you to a site that tries to download malicious code onto your PC or tries to trick you into handing over personal or financial information. 

New Spam Themes

Just as fashion trends change yearly, so, apparently, do spam themes. In 2005 spam pitches ranged from cable descramblers to "free" iPods. But in 2006 spammers will be promoting things like investment opportunities and pumping penny stocks instead of pushing products. Why? Sites selling products make it easier for law enforcement to track who is behind them--and who is sending the spam. Product-related spam also often contains blacklisted URLs that trigger spam filters to block the e-mail.

The Barracuda Spam Firewall is compatible with all email servers and can fit into nearly any corporate or small business environment. It is used by small organizations with as few as 10 employees and large organizations with as many as 200,000 employees. A single Barracuda Spam Firewall handles up to 25,000 active email users and 15 million email messages per day. Multiple units can be clustered together for even greater capacity and high availability.

In Malaysia, Barracuda range of products are distributed by ICT Security Company, Trans Niaga Sdn. Bhd. (www.transniaga.com)

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