The Internet’s Spam Shield: An Introduction to the SpamHaus Project

Since the beginning of Internet time, spam has arrived and been deleted in millions of user’s inboxes, sometimes even making it to the junk e-mail folder without any further regard. Spam, not the variety found on supermarket shelves, is essentially an evolution of bad marketing tactics gone haywire combined with a (sometimes dangerous) mixing of e-mail address databanks. Spam across the Internet has run its course from simple and strategic e-mail bombardment, to large-scale conglomerate efforts of ‘spam gangs.’

In an effort to reduce spam in your mailbox, many anti-spamming agent programs have been created through spam filter software, and extra security measures placed on computers to filter and sort suspicious mail. The SpamHaus Project was launched in 1998, as an organized effort to combat the nation’s spam problems through awareness and a variety of anti-spamming tactics.

The Spamhaus Project is based in the United Kingdom; it offers services to the public that can help reduce and identify sources of online spam. The Registry of Known Spam Operations (ROKSO) is a storehouse of the most recent spam-related terminations, as well as listings of the time of criminal activities. Top ten and Blocklists pave the way for targeting specific sources and tracking recent ventures. E-mail users can count on finding information about spam gangs, busts, and various viruses that may be on the rise. The SpamHaus Project is an effort to reduce the occurrence of spam-related tactics, and also expose any that are under operation.

Spamming through marketing efforts has taken its place in a variety of forms. Embedding data within e-mails is one of the most frequent abuses of e-mail, as it enables the message to begin or propagate a virus without even a direct click. Another technique is to outsmart search engines by creating webpages that are chock full of spam instead of legitimate content. Although many search engines today have tools to seek these out, many spam sites continue to clutter the web. The SpamHaus project serves as an Internet shield for many people, offering a well-stocked database of information to target exploiters.

The SpamHaus Project is a volunteer effort; since its inception, it has grown to a world-wide scale, and features the Spamhaus TOP 10 list of service providers that are considered the ’10 Worst Spam Service ISPs’. The database is updated every 24 hours; currently verizonbusiness.com is the top worst network with 179-related spam issues. The worst countries list show the United States as the top worst country with 2305 spam-related issues, while the United Kingdom ranks in at #9 with 160. Russia, China, and Japan rank 2, 3, and 4 respectively.

The SpamHaus Project is a great opportunity to highlight and find information on today’s biggest and worst viruses and vulnerable centers for spam. Internet security is of high concern in today’s well-connected culture, and initiatives such as the SpamHaus project serve as well-received shields for the masses.