LEXINGTON, MA -- 01/28/08 --
Ipswitch, Inc., a developer of network
management, messaging, and secure and managed file transfer solutions,
today announced the result of its ninth Spamometer survey, revealing that
96.4% of all email received is spam, the highest rate since recording
began. This compares with 95% the previous quarter and only 84% over the
same period last year. The biggest category of spam, finance, accounts for
41% of all messages received in an email inbox; a quarter of spam emails
were categorized as medication; with pornographic emails accounting for
21%. The rise in financial spam mirrors the current trend for emails
requesting recipients to call illegitimate call centers and pass over
personal financial information known as 'Vishing.' Ipswitch's research also
found that spam from botnets accounted for 72% of all spam generated.
Medication spam has been knocked off the top spot for the first time in
three quarters. Finance spam emails have risen from only 12% the previous
quarter to 41% over the holidays. Pornographic emails descended to third
position this quarter, down from 21% to 16%.
1. Finance - 41% (up from 5)
2. Medication - 19% (down from 1)
3. Pornographic - 16% (down from 2)
4. Gambling - 13%
5. Undecipherable - 8% (down from 3)
"The trend that Ipswitch's figures show is a continued move from pragmatic,
opportunistic Spam being carried out by a single user for their own gain to
fully organized criminal gangs using botnets to gain both volume of emails
and a degree of anonymity from automated shut-downs, alongside the use of
professionally run 'help' desks where the unwary are persuaded to give up
there financial security details. This level of sophistication shows there
really is only one solution to Spam -- to stop it before it reaches the end
user," warns Quocirca Ltd Service Director, Business Process Analyst, Clive
Longbottom.
"The current trend for Vishing highlights the problem of criminals tending
to be half a step in front of the law and causing significant damage before
they are brought to justice. We are already seeing the impact on
individuals who have become victims of Vishing," comments Ipswitch's
President of the Messaging Division, Tripp Allen. "Vishing has undoubtedly
knocked consumer confidence in the security of VoIP technologies. Even
though the vulnerabilities were generally down to the user not taking the
proper precautions."
Ipswitch boasts a family of streamlined, innovative and flexible messaging
products that meet users' evolving needs. Ipswitch IMail Server delivers
crucial communication and collaboration tools without the high acquisition
and ongoing administrative costs of systems designed for large enterprises.
IMail Server provides solid, scalable, standards-based email service with
Web-based access and administration
For a full breakdown of results please contact Davies Murphy Group, Inc.
(ipswitch@daviesmurphy.com).
About Ipswitch Messaging & Collaboration
Ipswitch IMail Server delivers crucial communication and collaboration
tools without the high acquisition and ongoing administrative costs of
systems designed for large enterprises. IMail Server provides solid,
scalable, standards-based email service with Web-based access and
administration.
About Ipswitch, Inc.
Ipswitch develops and markets innovative IT software that is easy to learn
and use. More than 100 million people worldwide use Ipswitch software to
monitor their networks with Ipswitch WhatsUp®, transfer files over the
Internet using the market leading Ipswitch WS_FTP® Professional client
and Ipswitch WS_FTP Server and communicate via Ipswitch Imail(TM) Server.
To view the Daily Network Monitor blog, visit
http://www.dailynetworkmonitor.com. For product and sales information,
write to info@ipswitch.com or visit http://www.ipswitch.com. Ipswitch
values community involvement; visit http://icare.ipswitch.com to find out
how to become involved. Visit www.ipswitch.com for more information on the
company.
Ipswitch, WS_FTP and WhatsUp are registered trademarks of Ipswitch, Inc.
IMail Server is a trademark of Ipswitch, Inc. All other product names are
property of their respective owners.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Brad Senter
Ipswitch, Inc.
706-312-3562
bsenter@alpha.ipswitch.com
http://www.ipswitch.com
Mandy Keith
Davies Murphy Group, Inc.
781-418-2421
ipswitch@daviesmurphy.com
http://www.daviesmurphy.com
