Spam Falls As Hosting Removed

ISPs have pulled the plug on a web hosting service believed to have been working with spammers, and spam levels have fallen drastically.

Two ISPs, Hurricane Electric and Global Crossing, pulled the plug on a web hosting company called McColo on November 11 after receiving information about the company’s activities from the Washington Post. And in the wake of that action, anti-spam company Ironport claims spam levels have dropped by a staggering 70%.

The Washington Post had spent several months investigating McColo and passed its information to the ISPs. It’s thought that McColo hosted gangs running botnets.

Jason Steer, a spokesman for Ironport, said:

"All the US internet peering companies are under much more scrutiny. The authorities and the internet community have woken up to the problem."

However, the fall is only likely to be temporary, the BBC says; the spammers will simply find a hosting solution where there’s less regulation, and probably very quickly, as the run up to Christmas begins.