Jacko Spam

Recently a flood of Michael Jackson related "spam" has hit the internet. The message claims that Jackson attempted suicide, and contains a link to details.

Website appears to the user to be offline. In reality, it attempts to install a piece of malware. The exact action of the malware at this time isn't clear.

Since the offending code is hosted by a third-party website, as opposed to attached to the message, it's more difficult for anti-virus and spam filtering software to detect.

Terminology in such cases gets a bit confusing. Spam has historically referred to commercial unwanted emails. Over time, messages generated by worms, Trojans and viruses have also come to be considered spam.

Unethical commercial email senders will sometimes utilize worms to spread malware in order to recruit more systems as "zombies." The zombie systems are then used to send the actual commercial email. Zombie systems are highly effective at avoiding anti spam programs.

Malware is also commonly spread via "freeware" applications and security exploits. Users should be vigilantly aware of any unusual network activity emanating from their computers.

The tactic of falsely mentioning a celebrity in the subject line is also commonly used in traditional advertising oriented spam. Recently, an email went around claiming the death of a major terrorist leader.

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