The US needs the world to help them clean up the internet

Okay so this isn’t the way the BBC worded it when they published their article this morning, but I can’t help thinking they should have done.

The US Department of Homeland Security has said…

"all computer users, not just industry and government, have a responsibility to practice good ‘cyber hygiene’"

Which, if they’re aiming that comment at at anybody outside of the US is nothing short of complete hypocrisy.  This map below will demonstrate why I’m saying this.

It’s clear to see here, that a huge volume of the world’s spam originates from within the US itself.  In June this year a rogue ISP based in California was shut down by the US courts and overnight worldwide spam levels dropped by 15%.

Does this mean the rest of the world shouldn’t do what it can to halt the rise of spam?  No, we should all be careful of what we click.  Spam is a multi-million dollar business with too many people apparently willing to buy cheap viagra.

The BBC Reported…

A recent report claimed e-mail spam is on the rise and accounted for 87% of all e-mail sent in August.

"E-mail is a critical application so users need to think before opening that mail," said Rohyt Belani, the founder and chief executive of Intrepidus Group, a security consultancy.

"Our studies have shown that within the first hour of someone receiving a phishing e-mail, 60% of people click on them. That is not enough time for the security folks to act."

Phishing attacks are specifically aimed at getting people to divulge personal information like social security numbers or bank details.

Attackers may send an e-mail that appears to legitimately come from a credit card company or a financial institution requesting information that is then used to steal the users’ identity.

The theme for this year’s national cybersecurity awareness month, which is sponsored by the Homeland Security Department, is "our shared responsibility".

Frankly the USA needs to clean house first.  For far too long lax regulation has allowed spammers to operate there and they need to take a tough line on ISPs that work with and support illegal operations, spam and other cyber-crimes.

The general impact on end-users of cyber crime can be horrific, and it can affect anybody no matter how careful they are.

It’s essentially good that the US are calling on the world to work together, now let’s see if they can lead by example.