Russian spammers: the view from Russia

Darya Gudkova Kaspersky Lab

Russia is now in second place among the countries which act as sources of spam. Due to this, it's becoming increasingly interesting to examine exactly how Russian spammers work. The paper is based on estimates of the number and efficiency of Russian spam groups. It aims to address the following questions:

• What exactly do spammers offer the consumer?
• Which methods of spam delivery are most popular in Russia?
• What guaranties do spammers give?
• What methods do spammers use to evade spam filters?
• How much does one mass mailing cost?
• How many addresses does a spam database contain?
• Can spammers conduct a targeted mass mailing?
• Can spammers mass mail malicious code?
• Do spammers have criminal connections?
• Does the law act as a deterrent?

The paper will also provide details about some of the sources of spam in Russia, including where botnets are geographically situated and which hosting companies are most popular with spammers.