Next Generation Spam Zombies Will Use Data Mining

branewashd writes "The Globe and Mail is covering some new research on the future of spam. The paper 'Spam Zombies from Outer Space', from researchers at the University of Calgary, will be presented on Sunday at the European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research conference. According to the paper, the next generation of spam zombies will employ 'sophisticated data mining of their victims saved email'. When a computer is turned into a spam zombie, it will first be mined of its address book, mail client configuration, and mail archives. Then the spam program will use Natural Language Processing techniques to send spam messages to the victim's contacts that look a lot like messages that the user has previously sent. The researchers predict that this will be extremely hard to detect, but they do offer a few suggestions for combating it."

Welcome to the world of tomorrow!

[Anonymous Coward]

Or... the world of 1998? Didn't pretty much all Outlook worms do this?

I Hope They Don't Know About Weka!

[eldavojohn]

Damn, I hope they don't abuse the hell out of the Weka Project [waikato.ac.nz], that's one slick open source engine I've used time and again. It'd be a crying shame to see it put to use of ill repute!

The researchers predict that this will be extremely hard to detect, but they do offer a few suggestions for combating it.

Like what? Capital punishment for spammers?

Some will be lucky

[Progman3K]

There will be some people who will get pop-ups from the zombie virus requesting that they upgrade their machine to be able to run the virus properly.

That's sure to be a dead giveaway...

From the average college student's computer...

[Qzukk]

"Hi mom, I'm coming home this weekend, and I'll have a load of laundry. I'll also need some money because I can get P3NNY ST0X GO WILD OVER OTCBB FFFF! and some C1AL1S CHEAP AT HTTP //CHEAPERDR00GZ.MX/ !! Could you just transfer the funds to my account, it's easy to do, just go to 12.51.53.21/htedit/upload/pics/boa_rip/index.htm [bankofamerica.com]!"

Re:welcome to #oldnews

[Foobar of Borg]

1998 called and wants their news back

1990 called and wants their "$YEAR called and wants their $ITEM/CONCEPT back" meme back.

Data mining huh?

[fish_in_the_c]

I'm waiting for someone to come up with an expert system /AI that looks for new securtity exploits and then uses them to spread it's own code to other systems. Try filtering that out.

OOH! My Turn!

[Rachel Lucid]

This will make it even more difficult to have an affair!

"Hey Honey!

I hope to see you this weekend. I've increased my pen15! I've made sure the kids are 'spending the night' over at their friend's houses, and my wife's out. Now we'll get to celebrate our anniversary with those new nippl3 clamps I bought you!

Love and V1agra,
Hermie."

Oh, really?

[aardvarkjoe]

Then the spam program will use Natural Language Processing techniques to send spam messages to the victim's contacts that look a lot like messages that the user has previously sent. The researchers predict that this will be extremely hard to detect, but they do offer a few suggestions for combating it.

For instance, before sending someone your credit card number, take a moment to ask yourself whether or not your mother is likely to be offering to sell you penis enlargement pills.

Somehow, I don't think it is going to be difficult to tell the difference, simply because my friends are not trying to peddle things to me.

Re:What piques me about the article...

[Kelson]

Bonus points for spelling "pique" correctly!

Too bad there's no +1 Good Spelling mod...

Re:The three forces driving spam

[Arandir]

The only reason for all this spam is that it still pays.

Here's the funny thing. Joe will receive a spam that has been carefully constructed as to appear to be coming from his mother. Why the fsck would he believe it? Is he so stupid that he would buy viagra and hoodia from his mother? The answer, unfortunately, is yes...

"Dear Son,

I am so sorry to hear about your injury. Have you considered **Ci@L15**? My arthritis is acting up, I think I will LAST ALL WEEKEND! When will you come down next, because PLEASE THE CHICAS!

Love,
Mum"

Re:welcome to #oldnews

[misleb]

2005 called and wants their "programmatic variables used as inferences to repetitiveness" back.

It is meta-criticisms all the way down.

-matthew

My solution is to make no friends

[Donjo]

Then I won't be in anybody's contact list.

Re:Well poisoners...

[chriss]

If evolution wasn't broken and stupid people did less breeding and more dying ...

I think this would be an universal solution to almost all of mankinds problems.