Symantec cautions users against spammers

A statement issued by Symantec has said that spammers were taking advantage of the reach of the internet - and the growing broadband population in India - to send emails that promise exciting offers with tags such as "Salute your most beloved woman" on Women's Day. 

The statement said that spammers were taking advantage of occasions and special events. "However, this time around, the emails are specific to India - with offers in INR and context-specific visuals. Evidently, these cybercriminals have now turned their attention to first-time users in countries such as ours, where low awareness of security threats and best practices still prevails," said the statement. 

In fact, the latest Symantec Intelligence Report for January 2013 revealed that India ranked second as a spam source globally, just behind the United States and ahead of Brazil, China and Russia. Pointing to the popularity of India as a money-making target for cybercriminals, the January Intelligence Report also revealed that India is among the top five global targets for phishing, with 1 in 500 emails in India being phishing emails. India also ranked among the top five recipients of malware-bearing emails, with 1 in 302 emails in India in January carrying a dangerous payload. 

The release said that unfortunately for Indian users, regardless of gender, the digital era has enabled dangers to land straight in our private inboxes. The release suggested user to not respond to unsolicited email. "Do not even try to unsubscribe from spammy mailing lists as it tells the attackers that your digital identity is alive. Also, keep the general-use email ID separate from the one you use for your online shopping/banking accounts. Use a trusted security solution that scans your system and email formalware and limit personal online transactions while at the office," said the release.