'Hey, Why Did You Reply to that Spam?' Anti-Spam Group MAAWG Surveys Consumer Email...

'Hey, Why Did You Reply to that Spam?' Anti-Spam Group MAAWG Surveys Consumer
Email Behavior and Security Awareness

SAN FRANCISCO, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyone asks, "who would be so
reckless as to click on this junk?" but almost a third of consumers admitted
to responding to a message they suspected might be spam, according to a survey
released today by the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG). Also
alarming, about 80 percent of users doubted their computers were at risk of
ever being infected with a "bot," which is a covertly planted virus capable of
sending spam or causing other damage without the owner's knowledge.

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The results indicate a lack of awareness among consumers since industry
reports indicate bots are responsible for generating much of today's
illegitimate email. MAAWG commissioned the study, "A Look at Consumers'
Awareness of Email Security and Practices," to gauge users' understanding of
messaging threats and to identify how best to work with users in removing bots
and viruses from infected systems. The report is based on 800 interviews with
computer users in the United States and Canada who said they were not
"security experts" and who used email addresses that were not managed by a
professional IT department.

The survey data creates a picture of users familiar with general email-based
threats but not necessarily as alert or cautious as they should be to
proactively protect themselves against spam, online fraud and other
email-related hazards. There also is no general consensus among consumers as
to how network operators and industry vendors should interact with customers
when addressing these issues.

"Spamming has morphed from an isolated hacker playing with some code into a
well-developed underground economy that feeds off reputable users' machines to
avoid detection. Consumers shouldn't be afraid to use email, but they need to
be computer smart and learn how to avoid these problems," said MAAWG Chair
Michael O'Reirdan.

About two-thirds of the consumers surveyed considered themselves "very" or
"somewhat" knowledgeable in Internet security. While most consumers use
anti-virus software and over half said they never click on suspected spam, the
survey also found that 21 percent take no action to prevent abusive messages
from entering their inbox. A majority of consumers, 63 percent, would allow
their network operator or anti-virus vendor to remotely access their computer
to remove detected bots.

Offers a Framework for Working with Subscribers

Ferris Research, Inc., an industry analysis firm that tracks messaging issues,
provided additional recommendations in the report for service providers and
vendors based on the survey findings. Among their suggestions is that network
operators and vendors consider offering remote bot mitigation capabilities to
differentiate their services from competitors. Vendors also might consider
refining spam filters based on the specific patterns defined in the study.

For example, the MAAWG survey found that users between the ages of 24 and 44
are more likely to use email for banking and bill statements, so industry
vendors might focus on preventing phishing spam for these consumers.

Ferris Research Principal David Ferris said, "According to the MAAWG findings,
about one in six people are prepared to make an effort to report spam and the
industry should find more ways to tap into this potential. Conversely, the
volume of people who still respond to spam is regrettable because it's an
economic incentive to spammers," he said.

This is the first consumer survey commissioned by MAAWG, which is the largest
global trade association tackling messaging abuse. Bots are one of the
fastest growing email security issues.

The complete 60-page survey report, "A Look at Consumers' Awareness of Email
Security and Practices or 'Of Course I Never Reply to Spam, Except Sometimes'"
includes graphs, detailed findings and analysis. It is available today at no
cost on the MAAWG Web site, www.MAAWG.org.

About the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG)

The Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG) is where the messaging industry
comes together to work against spam, viruses, denial-of-service attacks and
other online exploitation. MAAWG (www.MAAWG.org) represents almost one
billion mailboxes from some of the largest network operators worldwide. It is
the only organization addressing messaging abuse holistically by
systematically engaging all aspects of the problem, including technology,
industry collaboration and public policy. MAAWG leverages the depth and
experience of its global membership to tackle abuse on existing networks and
new emerging services. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., MAAWG is an
open forum driven by market needs and supported by major network operators and
messaging providers.

Media Contact: Linda Marcus, APR, 714-974-6356, lmarcus@astra.cc, Astra
Communications

MAAWG Board of Directors: AOL; AT&T (NYSE: T); Cloudmark, Inc.; Comcast
(Nasdaq: CMCSA); Cox Communications; France Telecom (NYSE and Euronext: FTE);
Goodmail Systems; Openwave Systems (Nasdaq: OPWV); Time Warner Cable; Verizon
Communications; and Yahoo! Inc.

MAAWG Full Members: 1&1 Internet AG; Bizanga LTD; Constant Contact; e-Dialog;
Eloqua Corporation; Experian CheetahMail; Genius.com; Internet Initiative
Japan, (IIJ Nasdaq: IIJI); IronPort Systems; McAfee Inc.; MX Logic; NeuStar,
Inc.; Outblaze LTD; Return Path, Inc.; Spamhaus; Sprint; and Symantec

A complete member list is available at http://www.maawg.org/about/roster.

SOURCE Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG)

Linda Marcus, APR of Astra Communications for The Messaging Anti-Abuse Working
Group, +1-714-974-6356, lmarcus@astra.cc