Skip to Content

What do you buy the Apple fanboy? Visit the TUAW Holiday Gift Guide to find out
Holidash Blog
AOL Tech

Posts with tag spammers

Canada Dropping the Ball on Spam, Expert Says



One prominent Ottawa professor is blaming lax Canadian legislation for what he identifies as a proliferation of spammers in the country, Ars Technica points out.

The Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa's School of Law, Geist cites a report by anti-spam software provider Cloudmark in his claims that Canada has emerged as a safe haven for spammers. That report found that Canadian servers shipped out the fifth largest volume of worldwide, Web-based e-mail spam, outdone only by Iran, Nigeria, Kenya, and Israel.

Ars Technica, though, cites a study by Cloudmark-competitor Sophos that placed Canada well outside of the top ten spam-producing countries -- interestingly, the United States is ranked numero uno.

Regardless of specific data, everybody seems to agree that Canada needs anti-spam legislation. In fact, Canada is the only G-7 country not to have anti-spam legislation in place.

To our reckoning, if the Great White North isn't crawling with spammers now, by the time that news gets out, it will be. [From: MichaelGeist.ca via Ars Technica]

Cyber Monday Scams May Be More Than Most Shoppers Bargain For



There may be a threat lurking among your holiday presents this year, so be wary.

One of the season's most deeply ingrained traditions could be the entry point for spammers and scammers who prey upon unsuspecting online holiday shoppers. The big retail shopping day that is Black Friday is followed by Cyber Monday, the first Monday following Thanksgiving when millions of people return to work – and fast Internet connections. Instead of wading through all the e-mail and voicemail that has been mercilessly piling up, many spend their day surfing through online stores, seeking out bargains.

It's those bargain hunters who may be more susceptible to a scam or tricked into downloading a malicious piece of software. Internet security experts warn consumers to stay away from small Web sites offering deals that are too good to be true. You never know where your personal and credit card information may end up, they warn. But don't let down your guard at the big-name retailers, either. Clever hackers sometimes embed malicious code into the comments sections of trusted Web sites.

Worst Web Threats of 2008 (So Far)


Web security firm Sophos just published its study of security threats for the first six months of 2008, and you'd be wise to take heed of its findings. The Internet is a dangerous place, and every year it becomes more and more perilous for you and your personal data. The study is long and dull, so we put together some quick bullet points to save you some time and head scratching:
  • 2008 has seen an explosion in malicious software, three times more than in 2007.
  • Google-owned Blogger (which helps create those blogs with 'blogspot' in the address bar) is the most common host for malicious software.
  • Hackers and spammers use social sites like Facebook and MySpace with increasing frequency to spread spyware and viruses.
  • Attacks against Macs, iPhones and Linux machines have increased dramatically.
  • SMS spam messages (text messages) are an emerging front and is of particular concern in China.
  • Although still common, attacks via e-mail have decreased in the first half of 2008.
As usual, there are ways to defend yourself against such attacks. Getting yourself a firewall program is a good start, but don't forget about anti-virus and anti-spyware tools as well. Still, the best defense is caution and diligence. Don't follow suspicious links or open e-mails if you don't know the sender.

It's a dangerous world out there on the Web, but with a little smarts and the right tools you and your data will be safe. [Source: Business Wire]

Busted AOL Spammer Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison

Busted AOL Spammer Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison
Got spam? Yeah, we do too. Oodles and oodles of it each day. Spammers are everywhere, and every now and again, the government nabs one (or two) and sends them to prison for their offenses. The latest feel-good story of that sort comes courtesy of 22-year-old Adam Vitale, who yeserday was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his part in a scheme to send messages to 1.2-million AOL subscribers.

In a sting operation, both Vitale and his accomplice Todd Moeller were arrested after sending out spams on behalf of government agents. In addition to the prison time, Vitale will also have to pay $180,000 directly to AOL in damages, and has pledged that he's "learned a lesson" -- something he apparently didn't do after any of his previous convictions (or the time he was caught running a prostitution ring on Craigslist but never charged). [Source: Reuters]

(Disclosure: Switched.com is owned and operated by AOL)

    Switched Video

     



    Featured Galleries

    AOL Tech Network


    Latest Reviews from CNET.com

    CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

    Top Product Reviews

    AOL News

    Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in: