Sophos has published the latest ‘Dirty Dozen’ of spam-relaying countries, covering the second quarter of 2012. While North America continued to reduce the proportion of spam it relayed by email, Asia increased its output and is now responsible for relaying 49.7% of all spam captured in SophosLabs’s global network of spam traps.
Despite only 5.3% of the world’s Internet users reportedly living in India, the country topped the list by a significant margin and was accountable for 11.4% of the world’s spam seen throughout April, May and June.
The UK has managed to remain out of the top twelve spam-relaying countries for the last four consecutive quarters, having last appeared in April – June 2011.
The US dropped from the top spot of spam-relaying countries to second place in Q1, and has now moved down to fourth place behind India, Italy and South Korea.
The top 12 spam-relaying countries for April to June 2012 are as follows:
- India: 11.4%
- Italy: 7%
- South Korea: 6.7%
- USA: 6.2%
- Vietnam: 5.8%
- Brazil: 4.4%
- Pakistan: 3.7%
- China: 3.2%
- France: 3.1%
- Russia: 2.9%
- Poland: 2.7%
- Taiwan: 2.6%
Other: 40.3%
South Africa is number 46 on the list with 0.29% of all spam originating from it.
Spam email is currently making up an average of 45–50% of corporate email, which Sophos said is one unwanted, unsolicited message for every important communication. Sophos recommended that organisations and ISPs implement technology and follow best practice to ensure that malicious emails are not reaching inboxes.
Asia increased its level of spam output, and the continent is now responsible for almost half of the world’s spam. Europe is responsible for about a quarter, while North America produced nearly 9%.
The top spam relaying continents for April-June 2012 are as follows:
- Asia 49.7%
- Europe 26.4%
- South America 11.2%
- North America 8.6%
- Africa 3.6%
- Other 0.5%
The chief driver for Asia’s dominance in the spam charts is the sheer number of compromised computers in the continent. “Malicious hackers hijack poorly protected computers and command them – without their owners realising – to send out unwanted money-making messages and malicious links,” said Brett Myroff, CEO of South African Sophos distributor, NetXactics.
“Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that their PC or Mac is properly defended against such attacks. If they take no care over their computers they’re simply adding to the world’s spam problem.”
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