Spam epidemic gets worse

Grok Headline matches for Spam epidemic gets worse

"A doctor who revealed that the SARS
epidemic in China was worse than the
government was admitting is undergoing
reeducation by the authorities"

"A doctor who revealed that the SARS
epidemic in China was worse than the
government was admitting is undergoing
reeducation by the authorities" 07/05/2004 02:41 PM

UN Takes Aim At Spam Epidemic

UN Takes Aim At Spam Epidemic 07/06/2004 08:19 PM

UN Now Ready To Take On Spam Epidemic

UN Now Ready To Take On Spam Epidemic 07/06/2004 12:15 PM
Last week we joked about how the US, UK, and Australia had teamed up to work together to fight spam, noting that this left plenty of other countries for spammers to go run and hide. Apparently, the UN is realizing this as well, and has declared spam an epidemic. They're trying to get regulators from over 60 countries to agree on anti-spam rules, to help fight the problem on a more global basis. Who knows if it will work (or if they'll make things worse), but at least they do seem to recognize that a single country can't do much on its own concerning spam.

U.N. aims to bring spam epidemic to end

U.N. aims to bring spam epidemic to end 07/06/2004 03:28 PM

Email Spam worse now that Can-Spam is
Here

Email Spam worse now that Can-Spam is
Here 02/10/2004 02:45 AM

Has anyone else noticed that now that the Can-Spam Act passed by the federal government has gone into effect, spam via email is actually worse than it was?

This is ridiculous. In the past week I've received at least 4-5 times more spam than I did in a week last year...

I'd like to install a server-side spam filtering system that's compatible with qmail, but I don't have the time or knowledge to actually get it installed... especially since I've been considering buying a Handspring Treo 600 to check my email more regularly...

Although, I wonder if I'm getting more spam because of the social networks I've joined in the past couple of weeks? Hmmm... I'm going to change those email addresses now...

Anyone want to install a server side spam filter system for me on the cheap?

Is spim worse than spam?

Is spim worse than spam? 04/09/2004 04:13 PM
No.. but shonky IM throws up new set of issues

Women perform worse than men on average
but even worse when playing against men

Women perform worse than men on average
but even worse when playing against men 04/24/2004 06:22 AM
Notes from the paper Performance in Competitive Environments- Gender Differences

marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2004/04/politi cally_inc.html
track this site | 5 links

Spam, spam, spam, spam ... Canada
targets unwanted email (AFP)

Spam, spam, spam, spam ... Canada
targets unwanted email (AFP) 05/12/2004 04:17 AM
AFP - Canada unveiled a new action plan to combat unsolicited commercial e-mail, nicknamed spam, which jams inboxes and clogs Internet traffic worldwide.

The Fat Epidemic: He Says It's an
Illusion

The Fat Epidemic: He Says It's an
Illusion 06/08/2004 12:11 PM
Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, an obesity researcher, argues that contrary to popular opinion, national data do not show Americans growing uniformly fatter.

He Says the Fat Epidemic Is an Illusion

He Says the Fat Epidemic Is an Illusion 06/07/2004 09:57 PM
Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, an obesity researcher, argues that contrary to popular opinion, national data do not show Americans growing uniformly fatter.

Who Will Be Next? Pictures From an
Epidemic

Who Will Be Next? Pictures From an
Epidemic 02/01/2005 09:41 PM
For those living with breast cancer, the magnitude of the epidemic can play a part in shaping our experience.

An Epidemic of Globalization?

An Epidemic of Globalization? 12/02/2003 01:08 AM
Haunted by a truly global epidemic, perhaps it is time to consider the effects of globalization on the spread of diseases like AIDS. In addition to making it easier for disease to achieve global prevalence, global economics reduce funding for public health by placing treatment emphasis on those who can pay for their drugs, and, in the case of AIDS, may also encourage pharmaceutical companies to pursue expensive life-long 'treatments' rather than cures. Furthermore, younger, economically depressed members of the global economy are wholly dependent on the whim of richer nations for their well-being in the face of devastating epidemics. In this case, it seems that the global marketplace has failed to be the holy grail it is so often presented as.

Flu Deaths Hit Epidemic Level in U.S

Flu Deaths Hit Epidemic Level in U.S 12/31/2003 06:13 PM
Reuters via Wired News Dec 31 2003 3:31PM ET

"Blog Epidemic Analyzer"

"Blog Epidemic Analyzer" 03/08/2004 11:17 PM

Flu Epidemic Likely Has Peaked in Most
of U.S., CDC Says (Reuters)

Flu Epidemic Likely Has Peaked in Most
of U.S., CDC Says (Reuters) 01/23/2004 03:57 AM
Reuters - This year's influenza epidemic appears to have peaked in most parts of the nation, but people who have not yet been vaccinated should still get a flu shot, U.S. health officials said on Thursday.

Rugby hit by injury epidemic

Rugby hit by injury epidemic 04/01/2005 06:12 AM
An exclusive BBC Sport survey reveals the full extent of the injury epidemic in the Zurich Premiership.

Experts: Bird Flu Could Become Epidemic
(AP)

Experts: Bird Flu Could Become Epidemic
(AP) 01/24/2004 09:26 PM
AP - With luck, the world will escape the latest outbreak of bird flu with no more than the six human deaths already blamed on it and the loss of millions of chickens. But public health experts worry of a much greater disaster: A catastrophe they say is among the worst imaginable, a global outbreak of an entirely new form of human flu.

Kenya Seeks Help To Block Epidemic

Kenya Seeks Help To Block Epidemic 03/31/2005 12:15 AM
Sci-Tech Today Mar 31 2005 4:04AM GMT

UN: Marburg Virus Epidemic Not
Controlled

UN: Marburg Virus Epidemic Not
Controlled 04/10/2005 12:54 PM
Sci-Tech Today Apr 10 2005 4:42PM GMT

Angola epidemic worst recorded

Angola epidemic worst recorded 04/01/2005 04:37 PM
The Ebola-like Marburg virus claims nine more victims in Angola, making it the worst ever recorded.

Study warns of possible bird flu
epidemic

Study warns of possible bird flu
epidemic 07/09/2004 03:30 PM

Can Electronic Passenger Data Help
Contain An Epidemic?

Can Electronic Passenger Data Help
Contain An Epidemic? 04/10/2005 11:42 PM
Information Week Apr 11 2005 2:46AM GMT

Industry remains divided on the
consolidation epidemic

Industry remains divided on the
consolidation epidemic 11/02/2003 10:55 PM
Computer Weekly Nov 2 2003 9:08PM ET

Computer viruses ape epidemic patterns:
Study

Computer viruses ape epidemic patterns:
Study 05/25/2004 05:29 AM
NDTV May 25 2004 9:49AM GMT

Movie piracy on Internet called an
epidemic

Movie piracy on Internet called an
epidemic 07/12/2004 05:40 AM
Chron.com - Mon Jul 12, 06:46 am GMT

Ongoing Linux/Solaris Compromise
Epidemic

Ongoing Linux/Solaris Compromise
Epidemic 04/13/2004 07:53 PM

July 2004 brings epidemic of new viruses

July 2004 brings epidemic of new viruses 08/05/2004 05:11 AM
vnunet.com Aug 5 2004 9:30AM GMT

U.N. Agency Says Africa Is on Verge of
Polio Epidemic

U.N. Agency Says Africa Is on Verge of
Polio Epidemic 06/22/2004 03:30 PM
Despite setbacks, officials said that they could still salvage their goal of eradicating the disease by the end of the year.

Phoenix: Epicenter of West Nile Epidemic
(AP)

Phoenix: Epicenter of West Nile Epidemic
(AP) 08/17/2004 09:35 PM
AP - With triple-digit heat and nearly nonexistent rainfall, Phoenix seems an unlikely spot for this year's West Nile virus epicenter. Yet, federal health officials say Arizona is the only state where the mosquito-borne virus is an epidemic.

Finance Spam Passing Drug Spam While
Porn Spam Is Washed Up

Finance Spam Passing Drug Spam While
Porn Spam Is Washed Up 05/24/2004 05:37 PM
The latest study on spam trends appears to show that financial spam is outpacing pharmaceutical spam - though, honestly, so much of both is coming out that it's really hard to imagine that this matters at all. Meanwhile, it seems that porn spam is increasingly less interesting to spammers as the numbers have been on a noticeable decline for quite some time. No matter what, though, it appears that CAN-SPAM has done absolutely nothing to slow down the amount of spam sent.

Angolan Government Calls for Aid To
Tackle Marburg Epidemic

Angolan Government Calls for Aid To
Tackle Marburg Epidemic 04/02/2005 10:39 PM
Sci-Tech Today Apr 3 2005 1:13AM GMT

July, 2004 Report on the Global AIDS
Epidemic:

July, 2004 Report on the Global AIDS
Epidemic: 07/08/2004 03:41 PM
July, 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic: "The HIV epidemic is worse than ever." "As the AIDS pandemic enters its 24th year, th e number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues to increase steadily. Two thirds of infected persons are in Africa, where the epidemic exploded during the 1990s, and one fifth are in Asia, where the epidemic has been growing rapidly in recent years." A new report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS shows that ""in short, the epidemic is outstripping efforts to contain it." "We're talking about more than 8,000 deaths every single day and in the war against AIDS we know the tools that work, we know the sorts of intervention that work, and if an administration is choosing other than these, and is doing less than it ought, then they're absolutely responsible." As prevention fails and more people die, some are "still insisting that only brand-name AIDS drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, most of them manufactured by big U.S. pharmaceutical companies, can be bought by beneficiaries of U.S. aid, despite the fact they are as much as five times more expensive as their generic equivalents manufactured in poor countries."

Stress epidemic strikes American forces
in Iraq

Stress epidemic strikes American forces
in Iraq 01/25/2004 07:32 PM
Stress epidemic strikes American forces in Iraq Up to one in five of the American military personnel in Iraq will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, say senior forces' medical staff dealing with the psychiatric fallout of the war. This revelation follows the disclosure last month that more than 600 US servicemen and women have been evacuated from the country for psychiatric reasons since the conflict started last March.

2004: Year of the global malware
epidemic - Top ten lessons

2004: Year of the global malware
epidemic - Top ten lessons 01/06/2005 12:03 PM

Dr. Jiang Yanyong, hero of the SARS
epidemic, imprisoned in China

Dr. Jiang Yanyong, hero of the SARS
epidemic, imprisoned in China 06/30/2004 01:29 AM
During the 2003 SARS epidemic, I did my best to stay out of the politics of SARS at SARS Watch Org, in order to be able to serve more people with helpful information, but there are times when I felt I had to speak up. Today I once again feel compelled to speak out, perhaps emboldened by the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday finally rejected Bush's tyrannical claim that the US government could indefinitely detain people incommunicado and without recourse to judicial review of their incarceration, so I now I don't feel like such a hypocrite talking about human right violations in other countries. According to several sources, the Chinese authorities have detained Dr. Jiang Yanyong, the retired surgeon, People's Liberation Army veteran, and long-time Communist Party member who was one of the heros of the SARS epidemic. As you may recall, at a time when the Chinese government was lying and denying that there were more than a handful of SARS cases in China, and was driving SARS patients around Beijing in ambulances to hide them from the World Health Organization, Dr. Jiang Yanyong wrote and signed a letter to the Beijing TV station and Time Magazine telling the truth about the magnitude of the SARS epidemic in Beijing. This simple act of truth telling did as much as any other act to stop the spread of SARS, and to begin the process of containing the epidemic. As I noted earlier, given that the party line became that the officials who concealed the SARS epidemic were the wrong doers, Dr. Jiang Yanyong was not punished for speaking out, and was even faintly praised in a People's Daily article. Apparently Dr. Jiang Yanyong has been truth-telling again, and the response of the authorities has been considerably harsher. In February he wrote a heart-felt and heart-rending letter to the Chair of the National People's Congress detailing his experiences as a surgeon on duty the night the troops started killing the students in Tiananmen Square, and calling for a reassessment of the June 4th Incident. A few quotes from the a translation of the letter, which is worth reading in its entirety: At about 2200 when I was in my dormitory, I heard continuous gunshots from the north. Several minutes later, my pager beeped. It was the emergency room's call. So I rushed there. I could not believe my eyes--lying...

From spam drops to spam spray to spam
stream

From spam drops to spam spray to spam
stream 06/05/2004 07:31 PM
I am now getting 2,000+ spams a day. There are 1,440 minutes in a day The rate of incoming spams is therefore getting close to the interval it takes me to check my email and dispose of a single spam: By the time I'm done checking, more spam has arrived. That is the point at which the spam droplets form a continuous stream. And that is the point at which no interval of my life will ever be spam-free again....

It's only going to get worse

It's only going to get worse 04/09/2004 04:08 PM

This analysis of the spread of the witty worm is fascinating for a whole bunch of different reasons.

Firstly, the analysis was made possible by USCD's Network Telescope, a network monitoring system on a massive scale which takes advantage of the fact that IP arranges were handed out like candy back when the 'net was in its infancy. USCD controls a huge chunk of all potential IPv4 addresses, and their network telescope tracks data sent to 1/256th of all IPv4 traffic. Since most worms target random IP addresses this makes the telescope a unique tool in analysing the spread of hostile code in the wild.

Next, Witty Worm was no ordinary worm. It targeted an exploit in ISS firewall products, which include the popular BlackICE product targeted at home users; this means the worm was actively attacking people who had made an effort to secure their machines! It also carried a destructive payload - a rarity for worms in the wild. Additionally, the exploit it used had only been publically announced the day before. It's possible the authors new of the vulnerability in advance, but it's far more likely they had already written the payload and were just waiting for a new vulnerability to use as the carrier.

From reading the report, it seems that the worm managed to infect virtually every one of its potential targets that were connected to the internet. This critical point is what makes the worm so interesting, because it destroys the idea that non-Windows users are made more secure by their relatively lesser numbers. If a worm came out with a similar methodology to Witty Worm but that targeted Linux, OS X or even something with a truly tiny statistical footprint like BeOS it could still achieve almost total infection of its chosen target audience.

The worm also appears to have used a number of techniques that had previously been hypothesized by the security communit, such as spreading from a number of pre-infected hosts.

If a worm can spread this fast, with this little notice, and infect almost all of the vulnerable population, we're in a pretty precarious state.

Related reading: The Peon's Guide to Secure System Development, Slashdot's thread on the Witty Worm analysis (some of the +5 comments are pretty good).

From Bad To Worse?

From Bad To Worse? 12/30/2003 01:22 AM

It was worse than you think. Also
better.

It was worse than you think. Also
better. 07/06/2004 06:43 AM
The cd of images from my running of the Marathon des Sables arrived this morning, just as the temperature here hit the low 90s. I'm starting to have flashbacks. I've been training for the my manhauling attempt on the North...
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Spam epidemic gets worse

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