This is a stark contrast to the global percentage of health spam which is only 12%.

The report also found that some of the percentages of other spam tactics in the APJ region differ significantly from global figures. While overall spam volume hovered steadily at 78.5% of email with tactics similar to those used worldwide, a closer observation of the internet and product categories in APJ this past month revealed some interesting trends to note:

· Internet spam makes up 13% in APJ compared with 23% globally and product spam makes up 15% in APJ compared with 26% globally.

· Financial spam has also taken a nosedive by 26% since November 2007 and now stands at 7%.

"From these findings, it would seem that spammers are tailoring their attacks to capitalize on popular trends in particular regions," said Al Ramon dela Cruz, country sales manager for Philippines, Symantec Corporation. "Online users should be diligent in protecting themselves against these threats, and exercise caution in their online interactions."

Throughout 2007, Symantec’s monthly State of Spam report identified and tracked various types of spam used by spammers to lure their victims. These included the use of attachment spam such as images, PDFs, MP3 and e-cards; hot topics such as global warming; and a variety of events, holidays and festive occasions.

From the findings, it is clear that spammers will continue to invent new techniques and methods to lure email users. The increase in spam attacks attempting to trick users makes it even more important to stay protected. Users should be cautious in responding to any email requesting personal or financial information, and install security software to help prevent spam from reaching their inbox and reduce the risk of navigating to fraudulent web sites.