Porn Spam Up 350%

LONDON, UK – As the temperature rises, spam is also heating up according to Clearswift’s latest spam index. Levels of pornographic emails have shot up by almost 350% since June, and in what appears to be an attempt to match supply with demand, healthcare spam (most of which was Viagra) has also risen significantly.

This upsurge is reminiscent of the same period last year – spammers appear to be purposefully increasing their pornographic output during the summer months. IT mangers are warned to be particularly vigilant to guard against damage to company reputation caused by the circulations of inappropriate images.

"Companies can find their reputations compromised by the infiltration of pornographic email, especially when it’s not managed effectively," comments Alyn Hockey, director of research at Clearswift. "In addition to the obvious offence these images can cause, a large percentage of these emails attempt to dupe users into opening viruses that are maliciously hidden within web links or zipped attachments."

But it is not only recipients of spam whose reputation is under threat. Viagra manufacturer, Pfizer, has recently begun a legal campaign against spammers touting potentially counterfeit pills via email and websites. Recent research conducted by Pfizer revealed that a startling 25% of men believed the pharmaceutical giant itself was responsible for sending Viagra spam.

Today Clearswift also announces its first virus index. The findings add weight to the predictions of IT security experts: malicious activity is getting progressively more potent, with zombie and peer-to-peer networks facilitating the spread. Zafi-B, which spreads both as an email attachment and via peer-to-peer file-sharing systems, tops the chart, with Netsky-P and Netsky-D hot on its heels.

These figures were extracted from the millions of spam emails harvested by Clearswift’s seed accounts on a weekly basis. They are collated and analyzed using Clearswift’s’ spamActive service, which is an integral component of the multi-layered anti-spam protection offered by the company's MAILsweeper™ Business Suite II.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Adult Networking Platform SpicyGigs.com Launches

SpicyGigs, a new adult industry networking platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Cream Pie Challenge' Fundraiser

Pineapple Support is hosting its Cream Pie Challenge through August to raise funds for mental health services for industry performers.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

Show More