[access-uk] Re: Instant messaging spam
- From: "Mark Matthews" <mark.matthews53@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 17:52:44 +0100
Justin and all,
Its strange you should mention this, because I've had a similar
thing....only with yahoogroups members. I've received the usual =
notification
that I've been added, only to find out the other person has had the same
happened to them (I.E) they've been under the impression it has been Me
that's added Them. All I can say is someone was playing silly beggers
somewhere, and I'm not quite sure who!
Cheers,
Mark
Mark Matthews
E-mail: mark.matthews53@xxxxxxxxxxxx
MSN/Windows Messenger: markmatthews3@xxxxxxxxxxx
Home Page: http://www.qsl.net/gw0wgk
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf =
Of
Justin R
Sent: 23 August 2004 17:43
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Instant messaging spam
Hi Barry,
yeah, i caught this article today and found it interesting. For years, =
I've
heard about strangers coming onto IM clients, acting like spammers as if =
it
was a common thing. However, I've never had any stranger come onto my =
msn
and do this. So, I wonder how they can find out your IM details as, =
it's
like finding out your e-mail details.
Justin
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Barry" <bbinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2004 4:51 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Instant messaging spam
> Hi all
> This article might be interesting to those of you who use instant
messaging:
>
> BBC NEWS | Technology | Messaging spam heads for your PC
> By Phil Elliott
> BBC Radio Five Live
>
> As internet firms are doing all they can to combat junk e-mail, a new=20
> form
of virtual irritation is emerging.
>
> Called "spim", it is similar in design to spam.
>
> But instead of attacking your inbox, it works through instant=20
> messaging
(IM) services.
>
> It is thought that "spimmers" have developed the idea because of the
attention-grabbing nature of IM, and the increasingly effective spam =
filters
that specialist
> companies have developed.
>
> Research firm the Radicati Group estimates that 582 billion instant
messages were sent in 2003.
>
> The US-based technology analysts expect the amount of spim sent to
increase to 1.2 billion messages this year, up from 400 million in 2003.
>
> Just talk
>
> Most people use IM to talk quickly and informally to friends and
colleagues.
>
> So there are fears that some people may be taken in by the spim=20
> messages
because they think they are being directed to certain websites by people
they know.
>
> In fact, the messages are generated automatically, in a very similar=20
> way
to spam.
>
> With instant messaging, if I wanted to send you a piece of=20
> pornography,
I'd have to send it as an attachment for you to download and open
> Alyn Hockey, Clearswift
> Once the program is written and run, all the spimmer has to do is wait =
> and
see if anybody responds.
>
> It is a very low maintenance method of sending out junk messages as=20
> the
system is automated.
>
> Even if a tiny fraction of people fall for the spim, it can be a very
lucrative business.
>
> However spim itself it not particularly dangerous on its own,=20
> according to
Alyn Hockey, technical director at internet security firm Clearswift.
>
> In an interview with Radio Five Live's Up All Night he played down the
threat of spam via IM.
>
> "It's not really as dangerous as spam," he said. "With spim, it tends=20
> to
be more of an annoyance."
>
> This, he says is because IM protects you from the immediacy of, for
instance, a pornographic e-mail which could portray an offensive image
immediately upon
> being opened.
>
> "With instant messaging, if I wanted to send you a piece of=20
> pornography,
I'd have to send it as an attachment for you to download and open."
>
> This requirement to download any attachments offers a degree of
protection. That is also why spim is not a credible threat when it comes =
to
viruses either.
>
> Simple advice
>
> It is hoped that messaging services will act before spim spirals out=20
> of
control.
>
> "There are products being created to help control this," said Mr=20
> Hockey.
>
> "The manufacturers will have improved the software to eradicate it=20
> before
it really becomes an epidemic."
>
> For now, people using IM should be wary and follow some simple advice.
>
> "Don't accept connections from people you don't know, don't download
attachments from people you don't know; and keep your anti-virus =
software
and operating
> system up-to-date," said Mr Hockey.
>
> The full interview can be heard in Talking Technology, on Monday 23=20
> August
on Radio Five Live at 2:30am
> Story from BBC NEWS:=20
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/3581148.stm
>
> Published: 2004/08/22 07:41:10 GMT
>
> C BBC MMIV
> ** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> ** and in the Subject line type
> ** vacation ## d
> ** where ## is the number of days followed by d for days.
> ** For other things like digest mode, send a message, to
> ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** vacation ## d
** where ## is the number of days followed by d for days.
** For other things like digest mode, send a message, to=20
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
** Going on holiday and want to halt messages? Send a message to:-
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
** and in the Subject line type
** vacation ## d
** where ## is the number of days followed by d for days.
** For other things like digest mode, send a message, to
** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
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