SPAMMING IN CYBER SECURITY:

TYPES, TECHNIQUES AND

PREVENTION
Darshana Mech
ID number- 220020
 WHAT IS SPAMMING?
 Spamming is a form of cyber attack that poses a significant risk to both individuals and organisations.
 It is typically a part of online marketing strategy aiming to attract customers by sending emails and texts to a
massive number of email addresses and phone numbers.
 It is the act of sending unwanted and unsolicited messages, often with commercial or malicious purposes, to a
large number of people via email, text or social media platforms, often to spread viruses or gain access to
sensitive information.
 It can used to spread malware, steal personal information, or promote scams and phishing schemes.
 It can also be used to overload networks and servers, causing them to crash.
 HOW DOES SPAMMING WORK?
o The process starts by acquiring email addresses and phone numbers through various means such as purchasing
email lists or using software to extract them from websites.
o Once the email addresses and phone numbers are obtained, the spammer creates an email or a message, often
with a catchy subject line that could interest the recipient including a link or attachment leading to a scam site or
malware download.
o The success depends on the volume of the emails/ being sent.
 TYPES OF SPAM
 Email Spam: This type is sent through emails.
 Instant Messaging Spam: This type of spam is sent through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
 Social Media Spam: This type of spam can take place through fake profiles, fake likes, spam comments and malicious
links tricking the users into downloading malware.
 Comment Spam: Often found in comments section of blogs. These are mostly automated messages that can include
unrelated links or promotional content.
 SMS Spam: This type of spam messages are sent in bulk to mobile phones.
 Voice Call Spam: This type is related to unsolicited calls to mobile or landline phones to promote products, spread scams
or demand payments.
 IMPACT OF SPAMMING
• It can cause network congestion, clog up servers and reduce internet speed.
• It can consume a lot of storage space on devices making them slow and less efficient.
• Spamming plays a vital role in phishing attacks, where these cyber criminals send fraudulent messages posing as
legitimate messages coming from banks, social media & e-commerce websites.
• Spamming can also result in distribution of malware-infected attachments such as Trojan and ransomware that
encrypt devices & demand money to unlock them.
• Spamming can lead to reputational damage & loss of trust in the website that has been compromised.
 COMMON SPAMMING TECHNIQUES
1. Botnets: Often referred to as “Zombie army”. These are networks of compromised devices that hackers use to send out
unwanted emails by exploiting security vulnerabilities. For example: Home routers, smartphones etc.
2. Snowshoe Spam: This technique involves spreading spam messages from a large number of email accounts & domains
to evade spam filters. Attackers rotate through various domains to distribute their group of spam email in small chunks
to avoid detection & bypass traditional blacklists.
3. Blank Email Spam: This technique, like the same suggests leaves blank spaces in critical information fields, typically
include email addresses, titles, subject lines and in some instances the body of the mail itself making it difficult for the
user to identify or report spam.
4. Image Spam: In this technique ads & unwanted messages are inserted as images into emails to evade spam filters &
trick the users into believing that the email is legitimate making it more authentic and engaging.
 PROTECTION AGAINST SPAM
1. Spam filters: these help in blocking unwanted messages. Identifies spam based on patterns, keywords or
phrases often used.
2. Being cautious with email address: Only share email addresses with trusted people & avoid posting it on social
media or public forums.
3. Avoid clicking on suspicious links: These links can lead to malicious websites or fraudulent pages.
4. Unsubscribe: tapping on the “unsubscribe” link of legitimate companies to remove your email address from
their mailing lists. However, one has to exercise caution in case of suspicious “unsubscribe” links, checking the
URL saves one from phishing scam.
5. Installing Cybersecurity Software: Cybersecurity software on devices help protect against spam and other
threats.
6. Report Spam: Most email services have a “report spam” feature that allows for flagging of unwanted messages.
THANK YOU!