Nobody likes spam. And yet, everybody gets it and it only grows over time. Despite millions being spent in combating it, the problem remains and remains a huge problem. In the U.S., more effort is being put beyond software in to halting the flow of spam around the world.
In particular, the FBI will be stepping up attacks on and prosecutions of those suspected of sending spam out, along with other things such as creating botnets. According to the article, an agency the FBI works with has helped identify over 100 "significant" spammers, and that more of these people will be targeted. Just last month, they stepped up their efforts to attack botnets:
In June, the DOJ and FBI launched Operation Bot Roast, targeting criminals who use networks of compromised computers, often called botnets, to send spam and launch distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Not only the people who use the botnets, but the people who provide access to or sell them will also be liable.
Of course, all the laws and talk in the world will do nothing if no action is taken. Considering that spam is a worldwide problem, it is going to take a lot more than a few U.S. agencies working against it. Hopefully, the next few years will see global cooperation.