Almost a third of consumers have admitted to responding to a message they suspected might be spam, according to a survey by the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG).
The survey found 80 percent of users doubted their computers were at risk of ever being infected with a bot that could send spam or cause other damage without their knowledge.
“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 consumers said they were “very” or somewhat knowledgeable about 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 spam messages from entering their inbox. More than half (63%) of consumers would allow their network operator or anti-virus vendor to remotely access their computer to remove detected bots.
“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,” said David Ferris, Ferris Research Principal.
“Conversely, the volume of people who still respond to spam is regrettable because it’s an economic incentive to spammers.”
