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Spam levels likely to rise in 2009, security firm warns

Spam volumes are likely to rise to become more than 95 per cent of global email traffic over the course of the next 12 months.

That is according to a new report from Barracuda Spam Firewalls, with the firm's latest figures showing that its applications currently deal with as many as 900 million potential internet security threats every day.

While it was found that spam levels in 2008 remained relatively stable, the firm's vice president for product management, Stephen Pao, has predicted that this should not lead to complacency in the New Year.

"As the end of the year quickly approaches, many are asking if spam levels can get any worse in the New Year," he noted.

"There are a couple factors that we predict may cause spam to increase slightly in 2009, however, it is equally important to note that the level of legitimate email is also increasing each year."

Among the factors likely to drive the increase in trojans, viruses and other spam are the emergence of techno-criminals in countries such as Brazil and Turkey as well as the ongoing rollout of broadband connections to homes across the globe.

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