Will 2010 be the Year of Spam?
If you think spam attacks were bad in 2009, just wait until 2010 gets going.
In its 2009 Annual Security Report [PDF], the networking gurus at Cisco predict that worldwide spam volumes will increase by 30 or 40 percent over 2009 levels. So get ready for a fresh glop of discounted penile-enhancement pills, strange women "winking" at you through nonexistent dating sites, and faux Nigerian princes promising $100 million waiting for you overseas. The hardest hit by this gush of obnoxiousness will be social networking sites, especially the king of them all: Facebook.
Social networking isn't just for kids anymore. Since businesses and organizations began digging into the gambit of cyber friends and fans, spammers have taken the opportunity to ramp up efforts to grab the attention of the unsuspecting. Facebook claims that site visitations increased 105 percent from December 2008 to December 2009. (Click on the chart for a close-up view.)With these kinds of numbers, it's no wonder spamming has followed suit.
