Cisco Email Security Appliance  Outbreak Filters    • Viewing
Options    • PDF (727.8 KB)   • Feedback  Spear phishing and
targeted attacks using new tools and more reconnaissance are on
the rise. Cisco IronPort Outbreak Filters are designed to combat
smarter attackers and sharpened tactics. This paper outlines a
variety of these attacks, as well as what Cisco IronPort
Outbreak Filters are, how they work, and their configuration
options.  A Turning Point  In late 2010, spam volume showed the
first signs of decreasing. Starting in October 2010, several
prolific spammers were and several botnets were shut down.
These arrests, combined with the shutdown of the botnet command
and control infrastructure used for sending threats, have
contributed to the drastic reduction in spam volumes. While
there are still systems sending massive volumes of spam, there
has been a definite change in tactics. In addition to sending
bulk spam blasts, attackers are now increasingly sending
specially crafted targeted attack messages