The communication by email has become one of the most important means of communication in cooperate and private. An internet user is constantly confronted by mass emails containing undesired information. Spam, defined as bulk unsolicited emailing, generally commercial in nature, and predominately fraudulent.
Spam causes high charges and damages.
Nucleus Research announced that the spam epidemic is costing US businesses $712 per employee each year in lost worker productivity. As a result, users are spending 16 seconds identifying and deleting each spam e-mail, which translates into an annual cost of $70 bln to all US businesses. Looking at the total e-mail traffic, Nucleus estimates that at least 90% of e-mail reaching corporate servers is spam. The average user receives 21 spam messages to their inbox each day. (Moskalyuk 2007)
Regardless of the inefficient time spent, there are further costs caused by spam, such as (cf Filterpoint 2008):
· Deleted emails remain stored in the trash folder.
· Higher storage costs through higher server expenses.
· Higher bandwith essential to store the spam mails.
· Time spent by IT staff for anti-spam measures.
· Recovery costs after a virus attack.
Various experts provide a spam calculator that enables to determine the approximate annual costs for an enterprise created by spam. (Gibbs 2003, Commtouch 2007)
The calculator introduced by Gibbs differentiates productivity, connectivity, storage and support costs. This Spam Cost Analysis Model can be found in appendix 1 of this work.
In this work different types of spam in general and in specific will be pointed out and characterized. Measures against unsolicited emails will be reviewed.
First I start with the definition of spam and where it comes from, followed with the spam history. Then I briefly list the most common categories and variants of spam used. The next step will be the revision of a present situation captured by Commtouch and Symantec, as well as statistics on the information learned through spam monitoring during the last few months, with the examples of its usage. I conclude with an overview of spam solutions offered and point out further research topics in the area.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Email Spam
2.1. Definition
2.2. History of Spam
2.2.1 The MUDders
2.2.2 The first internet e-mail spam, sent by Digital Equipment Corporation
2.2.3 Make Money Fast
2.2.4 ARMM -- first to be called spam
2.2.5 First Giant Spam
2.2.6 Green Card
2.3. Categories of Spam
3. Spam broad trends
3.1. Commtouch Email Threats Trend Report 2007
3.2. Symantec Spam Report December 2007
3.3. Recent trends
4. The Spam solutions
4.1. Non-governmental
4.2. Quasi-governmental
4.3. Governmental
5. Conclusion
6. Appendices
6.1. Appendix 1
6.2. Appendix 2
6.3. Appendix 3
7. Bibliography
Objectives & Core Topics
This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the concept of email spam, its historical development, and the significant economic and societal challenges it presents. The research explores the nature of unsolicited bulk email, analyzes current trends and threats, and evaluates various mitigation strategies ranging from non-governmental initiatives to legislative frameworks.
- The historical origin and definition of spam in email communication.
- Economic impact and productivity costs for enterprises.
- Categorization of spam types and modern threat vectors.
- Analysis of recent trends like botnets and address validation spam.
- Evaluation of governmental and non-governmental anti-spam solutions.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2.1. The MUDders
“The term “Spam” goes back to the late 1980s and the "MUD" community”. (Templeton 2008)
MUD stands for multi-user-dungeon and was named after the adventure game ““Dungeons and Dragons”, that was popular at that time. MUD was used by the majority of people to chat and play. The term “spamming” at the MUD community described different ways of behaviour (cf Templeton 2008):
• Crash the computer with too much data.
• To “spam the database” by having a program create a huge number of objects.
• Flooding a chat session with a bunch of text inserted by a program.
There are unconfirmed reports as well that the term migrated to MUDs from early "chat" systems. Rich Frueh believes the term originated on Bitnet's Relay, the early chat system that IRC was named after. When the ability to input a whole file to the chat system was implemented, people would annoy others by dumping the words to the Monty Python Spam Song.[The Monty Python Spam Sketch can be found in the appendix 2 of this work.] Peter da Silva reports use in early 80s chat on TRS-80 based BBSs, but feels since they imported other Bitnet Relay customs, the term may have come from there. Another unconfirmed report from a BBS user claims to have seen it defined as a "Single Post to All Messagebases" though this origin seems unlikely in my personal opinion.(Templeton 2008)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the problem of email spam and its negative impact on corporate and private communication, including estimated financial damages and loss of productivity.
2. Email Spam: The chapter defines spam from various dictionary perspectives and provides a historical overview of its origins, from MUD communities to early commercial email misuse.
3. Spam broad trends: This section discusses the evolution of spam, analyzing reports from Commtouch and Symantec to highlight recent threats like botnets, image spam, and pump-and-dump stock scams.
4. The Spam solutions: This chapter examines various strategies to combat spam, classifying them into non-governmental, quasi-governmental, and governmental measures.
5. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the ongoing challenge of spam and emphasizes the need for international cooperation between companies and governments to effectively mitigate the threat.
6. Appendices: This section contains supplementary material, including a Spam Cost Analysis Model and the transcript of the Monty Python sketch that inspired the term.
7. Bibliography: Lists all academic sources, reports, and websites referenced throughout the document.
Keywords
Email Spam, Unsolicited Bulk Email, Cyber Security, Malware, Botnets, Anti-spam technology, Phishing, Productivity loss, Digital communication, Internet safety, Spam trends, Network security, Legislation, CAUCE, Information security.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
This work provides an analytical overview of the concept of email spam, including its historical origins, current technical threats, and the various approaches used to combat the phenomenon.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The main themes include the definition of spam, its historical progression since the 1980s, the economic impact on businesses, and an analysis of current trends like malware distribution and anti-spam solutions.
What is the central research question or objective?
The objective is to characterize the different types of spam, review the measures currently in place against it, and provide an overview of the broader implications for the economy and society.
Which research methodology is employed?
The work utilizes a qualitative analysis based on secondary literature, industry reports from organizations like Symantec and Commtouch, and historical accounts of internet communication.
What is addressed in the main body of the text?
The main body details the evolution of spam, discusses statistical data from 2007, categorizes different spam threats (e.g., MP3 spam, image spam), and evaluates the effectiveness of technical and legal solutions.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Email Spam, Cyber Security, Malware, Botnets, Anti-spam technology, and economic impact.
What is the significance of the "Spam Cost Analysis Model"?
It is a practical tool provided in the appendix that allows enterprises to quantify the annual financial burden caused by spam, specifically regarding lost productivity and server costs.
How does the work explain the shift in spam techniques?
The text illustrates a shift from simple, annoying bulk messages to more dangerous, malicious threats that integrate malware, phishing, and botnets to exploit system vulnerabilities.
Why does the author consider governmental regulation a "last resort"?
The author argues that while government intervention is necessary, the global nature of the internet makes it difficult for national laws to reach spammers acting across borders, suggesting that international cooperation is a more viable approach.
- Quote paper
- Alena Rudnitskaya (Author), 2006, The Concept Of Spam In Email Communication, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/133354
