Image Spam: The Threat Returns

Download Now

To download this white paper you’ll need an Infosecurity Magazine account. Log in or sign up below.

Log in
Sign up

Get up-to-the-minute news and opinions, plus access to a wide assortment of Information Security resources that will keep you current and informed.

This will be used to identify you if you take part in our online comments.

Your password should:

  • be at least eight characters long
  • be no more than 25 characters long
  • contain at least one uppercase, lowercase and special character
  • contain at least one digit
  • only contain alphanumeric characters or ~!@#$%^&*()_-+=?.

For more information explaining how we use your information please see our privacy policy.

By registering you agree with our terms and conditions.

 Efficiency, productivity, profitability – all can take a serious hit if spam succeeds in accessing your business’s inboxes. Time and effort are eaten up deleting unwanted messages. Valuable bandwidth is hijacked. Networks are clogged and their smooth functioning is compromised. 

 
In the face of this very real threat, spam filters have become increasingly effective. But in response, spammers have continually raised their game, applying their ingenuity to devise new ways 
of outwitting defences and maximising the chances of unsolicited emails reaching their target.
 
Indeed, at the end of May 2009, image spam accounted for 41% of the world’s unsolicited emails. Moreover, this comeback has been characterised by the emergence of imaginative new image spam techniques alongside tried and tested ones. It’s become very clear that spammers are once again investing resources in developing and disseminating this potentially damaging type of spam. 
 
This white paper, provided by MessageLabs (now part of Symantec), explains what image spam is and how it tries to escape detection, and describes a cost-effective solution to what can be an irritating and business-compromising problem.
 

Should you download this content your information may be shared with the sponsors indicated above. Please see Infosecurity Magazine’s privacy policy for more information.