Chinese SPAM Startup Cost: $700

"It's a great deal, if you're a spammer.

"You pay US$700 to use a server in China that lets you send all the spam you like. It's called bulletproof hosting, and to the people who fight spam and cybercrime it's becoming a big problem.

"Cybercriminals use these services not just to host servers, but also to register Internet domain names that they use for spam and online attacks. In a three-month period this year, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham traced more than 22,300 domains, all used to send online pharmaceutical spam, to just six bulletproof computers hosted in China..."

More at The Standard...

Polish Pep Bois Discover SEO

"PandaLabs has identified over a million spam links used to target Google searchers looking for information about automotive parts from Ford and Nissan especially. Panda calls it `a major Blackhat SEO attack` designed to dupe searchers into downloading spyware or purchasing phony security software.

"Searching for the keyphrase `Diagram Of A 1998 Nissan Pathfinder Blower Motor,` for example leads to a Google results page packed with spammy sites. A savvy user can identify them by their unusual URLs starting with an arbitrary number, followed by nonsensical combinations of letters and resolving to Polish domains..."

More...

USA! NUMBER ONE!!!

US replaces China as top source of Internet attacks

"A year-end report by anti-virus firm Sophos has revealed that more malware is hosted on American websites and more spam is relayed from American computers than any other country.

"In fact, the Sophos Security Threat Report 2008 said that when an American Internet company, accused of collaborating with spammers and hackers, was disconnected from the Internet in November, there was a staggering 75 percent drop in spam.

"According to the report, the US hosted 37 percent of the world’s malware, usurping China, which was responsible for hosting over 50 percent of all web-based malware in 2007.

"The US also relays the most spam at 17.5 percent."

More at mb.com...

FBI SPAM Rides Again

"Consumers continue to be inundated by spam purportedly from the FBI. As with previous spam attacks, the latest versions use the names of several high ranking executives within the FBI and even the IC3 to attempt to defraud consumers.

"Many of the spam e-mails currently in circulation claim to be an 'official order' from the FBI's Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division, from an alleged FBI unit in Nigeria, confirm an inheritance or contain a lottery notification, all informing recipients they have been named the beneficiary of millions of dollars. To claim the large sum, recipients are instructed to furnish their personally identifiable information (PII) and are often threatened with some type of penalty, such as prosecution, if they fail to do so. Specific PII information requested includes, but is notlimited to, the recipient's name, banking information, telephone number, and a copy of their passport.

"The spam e-mail allegedly from the IC3 states that the recipient has extorted moneyand will be given a limited amount of time to refund the money or face prosecution.

"Do not respond. These e-mails are a hoax."

Full Intelligence Note at the IC3...

Penis pill botnet awakens after McColo shutdown

"One of the three botnets cut off by the shutdown of rogue ISP McColo is back in business. The Mega-D botnet is back on its feet and throwing off huge volumes of spam, net security firm Marshal8e6 reports.

"The botnet - best known for spamvertising adverts for penis pills - has been linked back to a network of compromised zombie PCs through a new command and control infrastructure. Analysis of where these systems are located is ongoing and neither Marshal8e6 or its competitors are prepared to point the finger of blame just yet. What's not in any doubt is that junk mail from compromised systems is on the rise."

More at The Register...