Why is spam email still so effective?

Spam emails have now been around for over 40 years. After all this time it’s still the most popular method of cybercrime. So why is spam email still so effective? What makes it so dangerous?

 

Evolving technology

As technology continues to develop and evolve, spam email adapts with it to become equally as sophisticated. Cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to trick their victims. According to Päivi Tynninen, a threat intelligence researcher ‘“Of the spam samples we’ve seen over spring of 2018, 46% are dating scams, 23% are emails with malicious attachments and 31% contain links to malicious websites.” We’ve seen a huge increase in certain tactics that play on the psychology of their recipients. Thanks to the popularity of social media sites, cybercriminals are now able to find and use the name of someone the recipient knows. Research shows that if a spam email claims to come from a known individual, the open rate climbs by 12%.

 

Low cost, big return

Essentially spam is free to send, in bulk. Because it’s so easy and cheap to send in huge numbers, it has a much higher chance of being effective. Look at it this way, ‘if just one out of every 50,000 people who gets an email falls for it, that may be enough for the spammer to make a profit. For financial scam emails, scammers can probably make a good payday if just one in a million people falls for for their trick and sends money.

 

Poor defense

Despite the ever-present threat of spam, the majority of businesses do not have adequate protection in place. It’s crucial that every member of your organization is aware of the risk that spam poses and the cybersecurity best practices.

 

Of course it’s also essential that you have an anti-spam filter to stop spam emails before they can reach your employee’s inbox and cause damage. MailCleaner can eliminate up to 99% of spam and offer your business professional protection against viruses and cybercriminals. Contact us today to find out more about our services and start your 30 day free trial!