 Windows
Vista used as Bait in Aggressive Image Spam Campaign -
19/12/2006 |
Computer users are
being warned by experts of the new threat posed by image spam following a
new campaign which offers users a cut price edition of Microsoft Windows
Vista.
Image spam, which uses
a graphic embedded in an email rather than regular text, has grown in
popularity amongst spammers who are attempting to communicate their
marketing messages to internet users. The usual types of emails received
by users promote stock pump-and-dump scams or drugs to help with weight
loss and sexual performance. The latest campaign by image spammers now
offers a bargain edition of Microsoft's new operating system, Windows
Vista.
The spam email claims
that the recipient can save $319.05 by downloading Windows Vista today.
Once the user buys the
Window’s Vista through the image spam email it is not completely clear
whether they will received a pirated edition of the programme or if it is
just their credit card details that are stolen. In any case experts
recommend for users NOT to “fall into the spammer's trap.”
"This widespread spam
campaign carries all the hallmarks of a typical image spam. The spammer
has added random noise in the form of speckled pixels to make the graphic
slightly different on each sending, and users are told to type in the name
of the website rather than clicking on a link," said
Graham Cluley, senior technology
consultant for Sophos. "Approximately 30% of all spam is now using images
to try and sneak past anti-spam filters. Computer users need to ensure
that they have strong defenses in place or they will continue to be
bombarded by nuisances like this."
"The growth of image
spam is one of the security stories of the year. Internet users should
make it their New Year's resolution to make 2007 the time they got wise to
internet threats," continued Cluley. "It's worrying just how poorly
educated people are about web and email threats. System administrators and
security geeks know about informative websites like
GetSafeOnline but the average
man in the street hasn't got a clue."
This problem can be
combated using ArmourPlate. The ArmourPlate
Anti Spam service works by scanning your company's email
to stop spam before it reaches your computer network. Your company's email
is filtered by our proprietary, highly sophisticated spam recognition
engine, 'Robot 5', which will detect almost all spam and places it in an
individual user's Spam Box, housed on the ArmourPlate system. Each email
user can view their Spam Box via a Web browser.
By not having
ArmourPlate Your company is at very real risk.
Using the ArmourPlate
service will safeguard your company and save you money.
ArmourPlate is considerably more cost effective than tackling the spam and
virus problem internally at your company.
Having spam and virus
emails stopped at source by us saves you from investing in hardware,
software and IT time, freeing up resources to focus on other issues.
No
more spam. No more viruses. Simple!
Source: Sophos
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