Mobile security company AdaptiveMobile has just issued an industry-first snapshot of SMS traffic across the United States, which shows some unprecedented visualizations of text messaging spam based on the mobile phone’s geographical location.
The image also projects what AdaptiveMobile calls the industry’s first “comprehensive map” of the sources and targets of mobile spam in the United States.
This two-month snapshot shows that mobile phones in South Florida, Dallas and Chicago were targeted with the highest levels of SMS spam. During this period, Los Angeles generated the most spam in the United States and was responsible for a pump-and-dump scam which “exploded” across the United States.
“This high-level view of all SMS spam across the United States for September and October is a powerful means in identifying the people most targeted by the messages as well as the areas generating the most amount of SMS spam,” says Cathal McDaid, Head of Security Operations at AdaptiveMobile. “We now know that where you live in the United States can determine how much SMS spam you can expect to receive each year. Having this level of detail will allow mobile operators to better combat the threat. In addition the visualizations give a stunning, unique view of both how mobile spam is sent and how mobile spam is evolving.”
