Email Security Insights: One Billion Spam Messages Analyzed

Stats from the one billion spam messages blocked by Project Honey Pot over the last five years provide an insight into junk mail trends and spamming practices. The Honey Pot project was formed by a community of web administrators as an alliance against online fraud and abuse back in 2004. The group now numbers 40,000 members in 170 countries, making it the biggest effort of its kind on the web. Last week, the group trapped its one billionth spam email message - an IRS phishing scam junk mail - since when the group has been poring through its archives, teasing out trends.

Stats from the project reveal that Monday is the busiest day of the week for email spam, and Saturday the quietest. Spam volumes peak around 12:00 (GMT) and reach a low around 23:00 (GMT). Spam volumes drop nearly 21 per cent on Christmas Day and 32 per cent on New Year's Day, a sign that junk mailers take time off over the holidays just like everyone else.

The link for this article located at The Register is no longer available.