Why do we still get spam?

According to a survey released by the MAAWG (Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group) yesterday, 12% of spam recipients click on the links and try to buy the products they are marketing. 12 percent?! Is this for real?

Unfortunately yes. Compare that with the lousy 0-3% click-through rate of banner ads, for example, and it's not hard to see the attraction. Ironically, the survey also found that two-thirds considered themselves "very" or "somewhat" knowledgeable in Internet security.

Our Advice? NEVER click on any link from any email that even remotely looks like spam - and this includes forwards from friends! If you are just too curious to help yourself, at the very least, type the url directly into your browser.

If it's a dodgy site, you might still get your machine infected, but at least you won't be providing evidence to the spammers that will encourage their despicable business.