Security news
Security news5 January 2006
Florida spammer receives $11 billion fine
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| Over 280 million spam messages were sent to ISP users. |
According to media reports, an Iowa-based ISP has been awarded $11.2 billion in a judgment against a Florida man who sent millions of unsolicited spam emails.
Robert W Kramer, owner of CIS Internet Services in Clinton, Iowa, filed a lawsuit against Florida-based James McCalla claiming that more than 280 million illegal spam messages were sent to CIS email accounts, advertising mortgages, debt consolidation services, pornographic and gambling websites.
The judgment handed down by US District Judge Charles R. Wolle on 23 December 2005, also prohibits McCalla from accessing the internet for three years.
"This judgment against a spammer is undoubtedly the biggest we have ever heard of," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Spam is not just a nuisance for individual computer users who find their inboxes clogged up with unwanted mail, but for ISPs who are hit in the pocket by having to pay for the bandwidth to deliver and store hundreds of millions of messages."
Kramer said that he thought it was unlikely that he would ever see any of the judgment money.
"I'm pleased with Judge Wolle's ruling," Kramer said in a statement. "It's a victory for every email user and every responsible ISP. It's proof our courts and Congress are committed to protecting the public."
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About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
