In a report analyzing the current state of spam distribution worldwide, the security firm Sophos identified at least one “zombie” computer with an IP address located at the Vatican City.
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| Source: Security Labs |
A “zombie” refers to a computer that has been fully compromised by hackers. These machines can be commanded to perform tasks such as sending spam or participating in denial-of-service attacks without the user’s knowledge.
Multiple zombie computers form a network known as a botnet, which is the primary source of spam distribution. Typically, hackers use Trojan programs, worms, and viruses to attack users’ computers, gradually taking control of their systems.
Spam distributed by these botnets often originates from legitimate IP addresses, making it difficult for filters to detect.
In Sophos’s report, the United States remains the “King of Spam,” accounting for 23.2% of all spam in the world. The runner-up is none other than China (including Hong Kong) and South Korea, due to the high number of broadband users in these Northeast Asian countries.
The report’s author, Graham Cluley, warns that the situation will not improve until home Internet users take action to protect their computers.
Meanwhile, observers suggest that part of the blame lies with the security industry itself. Why is that? For example, the latest antivirus version from F-Secure was incompatible with the ZoneAlarm firewall, forcing users to switch to the Internet Connection firewall in Windows XP SP2.
Tian Yi
