Holiday Surge in Email Threats May Be Starting Early ENGLEWOOD, Colo.-Oct. 31, 2006-MX Logic Inc., a leading managed services provider of easy-to-use email and Web defense solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced a 40 percent increase in overall email traffic from July through September, driven primarily by spam and malicious email traffic.

The MX Logic Threat Center, which monitors threat activity for the MX Logic Email Defense Service and MX LogicSM Web Defense Service, also reported a 16 percent increase in email worm traffic in September due to Stration (aka Warezov), a worm resembling a Windows update.  Once downloaded, Stration modifies host files so that the infected computer cannot download anti-virus updates. The worm then "phones home" to send information about email addresses harvested from the infected machine.

Spam levels also hit the highest reported all year in September, accounting for an average of 77.4 percent of all email through the MX Logic Threat Center. This compares to 72 percent in each of the first two months of the third quarter.

"While email-borne viruses had been leveling off gradually in the earlier part of the year, the upward trend for email and Web threat activity in the third quarter is particularly significant, because we typically don't see that kind of increase until November and December," said Sam Masiello, director of Threat Management, MX Logic. "Businesses that operate without email and Web security may be getting inundated much sooner than the holiday season." 

The company also reported that, on average, 0.27 percent of all unsolicited commercial email it filtered in September 2006 complied with The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act - the federal anti-spam law.  This compares with 0.3 percent compliance in August and 0.75 percent compliance in July. Current compliance rates for the CAN-SPAM Act hover under one percent - a significant erosion from past years' averages of 3 percent to 4 percent.   

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About MX Logic
MX Logic is a leading managed security services provider of email and Web security services developed specifically to meet the unique needs of small and medium-sized businesses. With patented technology and commitment to creating the most user-friendly security solutions in the industry, MX Logic is the appropriate choice for businesses that want enterprise-grade service and performance without enterprise-level complexity and cost. Distinctions in 2006 include Security Products Guide's Global Excellence Customer Trust Award in Email Managed Service and SC Magazine's award for Best Email Managed Service. MX Logic services are distributed through an extensive partner network.