Web Hosting Reviews & Ratings

July 06, 2011

Spam Sources Published Online

Spam is one of the biggest enemies of email hosting providers and servers as they can bring a variety of problems such as viruses, malware, worms and other attacks on network systems and individual user’s computers. Recently the Center for Research in Economic Commerce at the University of Texas at Austin revealed a new initiative entitled, “SpamRankings.” This software was designed to protect Internet users by uncovering the major sources of spam.

Actions by SpamRankings

The program publicizes the specific names and URL’s of firms that have recently been havens for spam distribution. The idea is to pressure these organizations to improve their security measures and email filters in order to curb future spam. Poor security measures equate to data theft and many other problems. Botnets are used to distribute spam through hijacked computers without awareness from the owners.

Quantifying a Firm’s Security Measures

It has not yet been determined whether customers consider a company’s spam rankings while selecting a bank, healthcare, provider, etc. However, SpamRankings is a useful resource when quantifying a firm’s security measures. How well they protect against spam and other attacks may be indicative of how well they can protect your information. There is typically a direct correlation between the two.

Why this Software is Important

Customers do not want to conduct business with banks, hospitals or web hosting providers that have been hijacked as a result of spam. Most businesses are in the middle of an environment full of user data which can be compromised. Therefore, an indication of poor security is outbound spam because it indicates botnets, vulnerabilities and susceptibility to malware, DDoS attacks and thus identity theft.

The Most Recent Rankings of Healthcare Providers

The creators of the program have been in contact with the ranked organizations with no resolve. According to the most recent rankings, the top spamming health care firm is Cedars-Sinai Health System in the United States, WIN in Belgium and Konkuk University Hospital in Korea. The rankings stem from a customized blocklist utilizing correlations of clusters of IP addresses to different organizations through Team Cymru, an Internet security research company.

This software is an excellent step toward making the Internet a safer place to conduct business. Hopefully those on the list will realize how susceptible they are to attacks. For those looking to protect their customers, it is important for them to improve their security immediately.

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