Top 10 Most Spammed States in the Country
Idaho is the spam capital of the country.
Sept. 25, 2009— -- Idaho is already famous for its spuds but, computer security experts say, it also abounds in something else: Spam.
Idaho is the most spammed state in the country, with a 93.8 percent rate of spam in its e-mail stream, according to security firm Symantec's MessageLabs Intelligence.
For every 100 e-mail messages received, in other words, about 94 of them belong in a spam folder.
In a report on spam rates released this week, the company said the global spam rate for September is 86.4 percent.
But, the report said, U.S. businesses receive more than the average, with a spam level of 93 percent.
"Some of the high spam levels seen across the U.S. can be attributed to the economic challenges experienced globally since the end of 2008, as well as Internet advancement, including the high adoption of social networking," Paul Wood, a senior analyst with MessageLabs Intelligence, said in a statement.
"Spammers have taken full advantage of both the economic uncertainty of some and the trustworthiness of others for their own rewards. Automated tools, resilient botnets and targeted spam campaigns are all part of the spammers' tool kit and they are constantly evolving these techniques to outsmart any effort to stop them."
Although Idaho is the most attractive spam target this year, it was ranked the 44th most spammed state last year.
"Interestingly, the top three most spammed states were among the 10 least spammed states in 2008," the company said in the report. "The difference can be attributed to the resilient and aggressive botnet market, as well as a higher volume of global spam that has ensued since the beginning of the credit crisis toward the end of 2008."
Want to see how much spam your state attracts? Check out Symantec's lists of the most and least spammed states below.
1. Idaho
2. Kentucky
3. New Jersey
4. Alabama
5. Illinois
6. Indiana
7. Massachusetts
8. Pennsylvania
9. Arizona
10. (tie) Maryland, North Carolina and New Mexico
