:CrossNodes: Virus-Hunting Knoppix Gives Windows Machines the Once Over
CrossNodes: Virus-Hunting Knoppix Gives Windows Machines the Once Over Aug 12, 2004, 08 :30 UTC (10 Talkback[s]) (12417 reads) (Other stories by Carla Schroder)
"Before we get into the fun stuff, let's talk a bit about the changed nature of spam and viruses. Organized crime has discovered the wonderful benefits of spam. I'll wager that most spam these days is not about selling products at all, but identity theft. Oh, I imagine that a few legitimate pr0n purveyors are still spamming their wares, but the real money is not in discounted drugs, or super cheap software, or low mortgage rates, or bogus college degrees, or anti-virus software, or online 'security audits,' or free credit cards, or enhanced body parts, or guaranteed real estate investing, or beat the casinos, or lose weight magically. No, it's all about getting hold of your personal information: name, credit card numbers, Social Security number, date of birth, and anything else they can glom.
"And of course phishes are spewing forth at an all-time high volume. And why not? They work. Again, the goal is identity theft. This article says spam accounts for 82% of all email volume..."
