Spam trend: PDF crashes, MP3 on rise

Posted by: Stephen Baker on October 25

In mid-summer, you might have noticed a surge in spam in Adobe PDF documents. Proofpoint did. The data security company reports that in late July and early August, PDF spam grew to a dizzying one-quarter of all spam. (Considering that 90% of all mail that reaches corporate servers is spam, 25% represents a large number.)

Now, though, the PDF spam has plummeted to only 1% of spam. What’s this mean? According to Proofpoint:

These sudden crashes are interesting because they indicate a highly centralized command and control structure over global spam that is using tried and true marketing testing techniques to optimize effectiveness. There may be billions of spam messages flying around, but they are generated by a highly structured and centralized organization that is testing and abandoning new techniques based on effectiveness.

Other notes.
* Spam rose 25% from August to September (proof, perhaps, that spammers take summer vacations, though I didn’t spot any in Rhode Island…)
* Spam on Microsoft word (aka .doc spam)tripled from August to September.
* And just last week, Proofpoint found its first cases of spam on MP3 files. According to Enterprise Security Today, it “features a spooky, synthesized Darth-Vader-sounding female voice touting the stock of Exit Only Inc., traded on the lower-standard Pink Sheets.”

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