Nearly half of all e-mails sent are spam, and the spammers’ favourite day is Thursday, according to research conducted by BT Openworld and antivirus firm Brightmail Inc..
BT monitored more than 25 million e-mails sent by its customers over a two-week period in March. It found nearly 11 million (41 per cent) of the messages were junk mail.
More than four million spamming incidents were identified on Thursday, making it the most popular day of the week for distributing unsolicited e-mails.
“The problem with spam is well documented, but to get close to the 50 per cent mark is astonishing – and the figure can only increase. The best option users have is to protect themselves. That way they can continue to use e-mail as an effective communication tool without being subjected to the irritation and hindrances that spam brings,” said Duncan Ingram, managing director at BT Openworld.
Junk e-mail seems to be at the top of government and industry hitlists right now. Microsoft Corp.’s recent spam-fighting partnership announcement and America Online Inc.’s tough stance with its AOL 8.0 software package have all pushed the issue to the fore recently.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission called an emergency meeting recently to discuss the problem. The convention closed with the Commission calling for immediate action, although what this action would be was uncertain.
It seems the only way to tackle spam is to present a united front, but the chances of governments penning a global strategy is slim to none, leaving end users no choice but to take measures to protect themselves.