SAN FRANCISCO, July 15 /PRNewswire/ --

Everyone asks, "who would be so reckless as to click on this junk?" but
almost a third of consumers admitted to responding to a message they
suspected might be spam, according to a survey released today by the
Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG). Also alarming, about 80 percent
of users doubted their computers were at risk of ever being infected with a
"bot," which is a covertly planted virus capable of sending spam or causing
other damage without the owner's knowledge.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070124/CLW180LOGO )

The results indicate a lack of awareness among consumers since industry
reports indicate bots are responsible for generating much of today's
illegitimate email. MAAWG commissioned the study, "A Look at Consumers'
Awareness of Email Security and Practices," to gauge users' understanding of
messaging threats and to identify how best to work with users in removing
bots and viruses from infected systems. The report is based on 800 interviews
with computer users in the United States and Canada who said they were not
"security experts" and who used email addresses that were not managed by a
professional IT department.

The survey data creates a picture of users familiar with general
email-based threats but not necessarily as alert or cautious as they should
be to proactively protect themselves against spam, online fraud and other
email-related hazards. There also is no general consensus among consumers as
to how network operators and industry vendors should interact with customers
when addressing these issues.

"Spamming has morphed from an isolated hacker playing with some code into
a well-developed underground economy that feeds off reputable users' machines
to avoid detection. Consumers shouldn't be afraid to use email, but they need
to be computer smart and learn how to avoid these problems," said MAAWG Chair
Michael O'Reirdan.

About two-thirds of the consumers surveyed considered themselves "very"
or "somewhat" knowledgeable in Internet security. While most consumers use
anti-virus software and over half said they never click on suspected spam,
the survey also found that 21 percent take no action to prevent abusive
messages from entering their inbox. A majority of consumers, 63 percent,
would allow their network operator or anti-virus vendor to remotely access
their computer to remove detected bots.

Offers a Framework for Working with Subscribers

Ferris Research, Inc., an industry analysis firm that tracks messaging
issues, provided additional recommendations in the report for service
providers and vendors based on the survey findings. Among their suggestions
is that network operators and vendors consider offering remote bot mitigation
capabilities to differentiate their services from competitors. Vendors also
might consider refining spam filters based on the specific patterns defined
in the study.

For example, the MAAWG survey found that users between the ages of 24 and
44 are more likely to use email for banking and bill statements, so industry
vendors might focus on preventing phishing spam for these consumers.

Ferris Research Principal David Ferris said, "According to the MAAWG
findings, about one in six people are prepared to make an effort to report
spam and the industry should find more ways to tap into this potential.
Conversely, the volume of people who still respond to spam is regrettable
because it's an economic incentive to spammers," he said.

This is the first consumer survey commissioned by MAAWG, which is the
largest global trade association tackling messaging abuse. Bots are one of
the fastest growing email security issues.

The complete 60-page survey report, "A Look at Consumers' Awareness of
Email Security and Practices or 'Of Course I Never Reply to Spam, Except
Sometimes'" includes graphs, detailed findings and analysis. It is available
today at no cost on the MAAWG Web site, www.MAAWG.org.

About the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG)

The Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG) is where the messaging
industry comes together to work against spam, viruses, denial-of-service
attacks and other online exploitation. MAAWG (www.MAAWG.org) represents
almost one billion mailboxes from some of the largest network operators
worldwide. It is the only organization addressing messaging abuse
holistically by systematically engaging all aspects of the problem, including
technology, industry collaboration and public policy. MAAWG leverages the
depth and experience of its global membership to tackle abuse on existing
networks and new emerging services. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif.,
MAAWG is an open forum driven by market needs and supported by major network
operators and messaging providers.

Media Contact: Linda Marcus, APR, +1-714-974-6356, lmarcus@astra.cc,
Astra Communications

MAAWG Board of Directors: AOL; AT&T (NYSE: T); Cloudmark, Inc.; Comcast
(Nasdaq: CMCSA); Cox Communications; France Telecom (NYSE and Euronext: FTE);
Goodmail Systems; Openwave Systems (Nasdaq: OPWV); Time Warner Cable; Verizon
Communications; and Yahoo! Inc.

MAAWG Full Members: 1&1 Internet AG; Bizanga LTD; Constant Contact;
e-Dialog; Eloqua Corporation; Experian CheetahMail; Genius.com; Internet
Initiative Japan, (IIJ Nasdaq: IIJI); IronPort Systems; McAfee Inc.; MX
Logic; NeuStar, Inc.; Outblaze LTD; Return Path, Inc.; Spamhaus; Sprint; and
Symantec

A complete member list is available at http://www.maawg.org/about/roster.