An email bomb is a malicious act where a large number of emails are sent to a specific email address with the intention of overwhelming the recipient’s inbox and mail server, leading to a denial-of-service (DoS) attack. This attack is considered a type of internet abuse and is usually carried out by cyber-criminals or hackers.
Types of Email Bombing:
Bulk Email Bombing:
This type of email bombing uses botnets that are networks of computers infected with malware that are controlled by the attacker to send millions of emails to a single or a few email addresses. This attack can be disastrous for the email server hosting the address as it can be overwhelmed and stop working.
List-Linked Email Bombing:
Threat actors use the targeted email address to subscribe to multiple email subscription services, flooding the email inbox with subscribed content. This type of attack can be very difficult to stop, as it uses the subscription services’ legitimate capabilities to carry out a DoS attack.
How to Protect Against Email Bombing:
Activate Anti-Spam Filters:
Most email service providers offer anti-spam filters that can detect and prevent email bombs from entering your inbox.
Block or Report the Sender:
Blocking or reporting the sender will prevent their emails from reaching your inbox and can help the service provider to track and prevent future attacks.
Limit Public Sharing of Email Address:
Avoid sharing your email address publicly on social media or websites to prevent it from being harvested by hackers and cyber-criminals.
Conclusion
Email bombing is a serious cyber-attack that can cause significant damage to an email server and its users. It is important to take precautionary measures to protect yourself from such attacks, such as activating anti-spam filters, blocking or reporting suspicious senders, and limiting the public sharing of your email address.
FAQ:
What is an email bomb?
An email bomb is a type of internet abuse where large amounts of emails are sent to a specific email address, leading to a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.
How does email bombing work?
Threat actors send large numbers of emails to a specific email address or use a botnet to do so, leading to the email server getting overwhelmed and stop working.
How can I protect myself against email bombing?
You can activate anti-spam filters, block or report suspicious senders, and limit the public sharing of your email address to protect yourself against email bombing.
