Australia Only 85th on List of Top International Spammers: Vows to Try Harder

spam.jpgOne of the great things about Internet security companies is that they love to send out little factoids about which country is currently screwing over all the other countries. This week it was Sophos that sent out a release detailing the breakdown of spam-relaying countries, adjusted for population.

It turns out that on a per-capita basis, The Pitcairn Islands emits more spam than any other nation. At number two is Niue, and eight other nations that you probably couldn’t find on a map round out the top ten.

The breakdown goes as follows:

1. The Pitcairn Islands

2. Niue

3. Tokelau

4. Anguilla

5. The Faroe Islands

6. Monaco

7. Bermuda

8. Falkland Islands

9. Andora

10. Aruba

Now, we’re not entirely sure what any of this proves. Does it mean that people in these obscure countries have computers that are less secure and more susceptible to spam bots than other countries? That seems pretty unlikely. Or is it simply that these counties offer a safe haven for spammers?

Of course, in terms of overall spam (not adjusted for population), the US is still head and shoulders above the rest. Australia, for what it’s worth, is the 33rd spammingest nation on the planet (and 85th when population is factored in).