Global - Internet - Spam

Synopsis

Archived report. This report was archived in 2006 and has not been updated. Spam (unsolicited commercial e-mail) is a problem that is increasing at an alarming rate. It has been reported that more than half of the world’s e-mails consist of spam, ranging from possibly useful information, through unwanted information to downright offensive or dangerous material. Coupled with this is the fear that any form of response to it will result in your e-mail address being added to numerous other spammers’ address books. This report deals with the nature of spam, statistics, preventative measures being taken against it and the apparent ineffectiveness of the US anti-Spam legislation.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam)
  • 2.1 SPiced hAM and Monty Python
  • 2.2 Spam over Instant Messaging (Spim)
  • 2.3 Outgoing spam
• 3. SPAM victory at BuddeComm
• 4. Statistics and Forecasts
  • 4.1 Reports from 2006
    • 4.1.1 Costs of spam in US
  • 4.2 Reports from 2005
  • 4.3 Reports from 2004
    • 4.3.1 Spam volume
    • 4.3.2 Source countries
    • 4.3.3 Spam categories
• 5. Deterrence measures for spam
  • 5.1 Online resource launched in 2006
  • 5.2 Coalition against unsolicited commercial e-mail
  • 5.3 E-mail postage
  • 5.4 IETF working group
  • 5.5 Legislative approaches
    • 5.5.1 US anti-spam legislation
    • 5.5.2 EU legislation
    • 5.5.3 OECD task force
    • 5.5.4 UK action against spam
    • 5.5.5 Japanese action against spam
    • 5.5.6 Australian action against spam
  • 5.6 Greylisting
• 6. Spam filters
  • 6.1 Sender Permitted Form (SPF)
  • 6.2 Port 25 possibilities
• 7. Related reports

• Table 1 – Worldwide Spam by category – 2004, 2005
• Table 2 – Regional sources of spam – early 2005
• Table 3 – Spam sources – March 2005
• Table 4 – Spam sources – May 2005
• Table 5 – Most popular spam topics – August 2005
• Table 6 - Spam as a proportion of e-mails sent - 2003, 2004
• Table 7 – Spam regions of origin – January 2004
• Table 8 – Leading spam producing countries – 2004
• Table 9 - Spam category incidence – 2004
• Table 10 – Products promoted by spam – 2004

• Exhibit 1 – Spam characteristics
• Exhibit 2 – Most commonly seen Spam