Telecommunications giant BT is to release specially developed software that makes it possible to detect junk mail and wipe out all types of spam. Known as Content Forensics (and created by StreamShield Networks), the software can scan several million emails per day and can then produce reports on rogue email addresses, adding them to an industry-wide blacklist.

The software is seemingly good for identifying mail that has been sent from botnets. BT has stated that 80 percent of internet emails - around 6.5 billion a day - are spam, and that many of these are generated by professional spammers and sent via botnets - networks of rogue software-infected PCs which send out masses of spam without the knowledge or permission of their owners. BT has pledged to turn the tables on professional spammers and help reduce what BT sees as wasted bandwidth.

Simon Gawne, CEO of StreamShield Networks, said BT had selected Content Forensics after extensive testing: "Our Content Forensics (product) has been developed with large ISPs such as BT in mind and delivers a powerful solution to the problem of professional spammers and botnets on ISP’s broadband networks."
Since the system is automated, it is naturally open to error. Recently we saw how Spamhaus is in legal trouble over allegedly wrongly blacklisting a company, so naturally mistakes can and will be made and care has to be taken.