Spammer Stopped ... For Now

The amount of junk email, otherwise known as 'spam', on the Internet has been reduced, for a few days at least; the biggest company specialising in unsolicited email has lost their 'Net connection.

Apex Global Internet Services (AGIS) cut the link to Sanford Wallace's company Cyber Promotions at the end of last week, citing "outstanding security issues" as their reason. Roughly translated, AGIS' systems were under attack from other Internet users trying to stem the flood of unsolicited email sent by Wallace and his firm. Cyber Promotions tried to arrange Internet connectivity from a number of other Internet service providers, but all have so far refused; either their existing contracts would prohibit such activities, or they simply don't want the bother of being the site who provides Wallace's connection.

Cyber Promotions has filed a lawsuit against AGIS alleging breach of contract, and a ruling is expected within the next few days. America OnLine successfully sued to stop Cyber Promotions sending junk email to its subscribers earlier this year, but AOL is a private network and not a service provider, so the case law may not be applicable to the suit between Cyber Promotions and AGIS.