Spam Zombies

For the past few years we’ve all become far to familiar with the terms spam, spam filter, whitelists, blacklists and a whole host of other terms associated with spam.   Don’t forget the most worrying phrase in  that long list - spam zombie.

With the net closing in around them, spammers are looking for new and more creative ways to send their junk mail. Spam filters and challenge response PCs are becoming progressively more intelligent and blocking more spam each day. What was a spammer to do? The spammers took the next step - infiltrating your computer and using it as a spam machine.

When most of you think of the word zombie you’re reminded of old movies with groaning zombies chasing the terrified girl through a swamp or whatever low cost setting the movie revolved around. Spam zombies are, however, far more real and far more dangerous.  Reports have shown that 50-60% of all spam is generated from these zombie computers.

A spam zombie is when your PC is taken over by a type of virus called a Trojan. Once this Trojan is on your computer it sets up an e-mail application which allows it to begin sending mail directly from your PC to tens of thousands of victims. This all happens invisibly in the background and can be difficult to detect for even the experienced computer user.

How do Trojans get onto your computer? As in most cases they come from adult or similar sites. One of the first spam zombie trojans to appear became available via a link on sites promising viewers free access to a porno webcam. One click later and the Trojan is installed on your computer ready to  spam.

How can you check if your computer has become a zombie? Make sure that both your anti-virus and firewall software have current detection signatures and have been completely patched and updated. Working online without taking these necessary precautions is simply asking for trouble.   The very least you owe yourself is to run a full virus and spyware scan on your computer today. You might be unpleasantly surprised at what you’ll find lurking there.  Give us a call if your losing the battle against the spam zombies.