Spam: Environmental disaster

Apparently spam is more than a nuisance on your eyes and index finger: It's also killing the environment. A report from McAfee released Wednesday finds that the amount of computing power required to send, process and filter junk mail is 33 billion kilowatt hours per year, or roughly the amount of electricity used in 2.4 million homes. To put the findings in perspective, McAfee said the energy saved when spambot hosting provider McColo was taken offline last year equated to the fuel savings of taking 2.2 million cars off the road for one day. — DK

More in News

Operators again revive Pushdo botnet, use a popular tactic to stay hidden

Operators again revive Pushdo botnet, use a popular ...

Botnet operators are using a domain-generation algorithm to conceal their command-and-control center. And once they knew security researchers were on to their tricks, they got even slicker.

Mac spyware discovered on Angolan dissident's computer at Oslo Freedom Forum

Mac spyware discovered on Angolan dissident's computer at ...

Security researchers are studying an apparent new strain of Mac malware that turned up on the computer of a participant at the just-concluded Oslo Freedom Forum, an annual human rights ...

Judge in London sentences LulzSec members

Judge in London sentences LulzSec members

The sentences range from 20 to 32 months, with none of the defendants likely to serve the full time. There has been no formal request to extradite the U.K. men ...