A mail bomb, otherwise known as an e-mail bomb or a mailbomb, is a form of sabotage or hacking attack consisting of sending large volumes of emails to a particular target with the intention of overwhelming the recipient’s mail server or mail manager. This attack also commonly refers to the intentional sending of massive amounts of junk email in an attempt to clog up an email account’s mailbox. Mail bombs are usually directed toward a single, specific user or organization as a form of digital trolling. An email bomb can also be used as a form of cyber-terrorism.
When creating mail bombs, the perpetrator’s goal is often to cause disruptions in the mailer’s system. Once a mail bomb has been sent, it can cause all sorts of problems with the system such as crashing individual mail accounts, damaging the system’s performance, and preventing legitimate emails from being delivered. Although the bomb may contain a malicious file link or attachment, it is likely that it is sent in plain text or HTML-formatted messages to minimize the risk of detection.
Detecting mail bombs is not particularly difficult as mailers can use technologies such as anti-spam filters and content monitoring. These technologies are capable of identifying mail bombs that contain certain text strings or other keywords that are often associated with malicious mail bombs. Additionally, system administrators can manually remove any questionable incoming emails from the mail server before they are delivered.
Due to the destructive potential of this form of hacking attack, mail bombings are illegal in many parts of the world and perpetrators are often subjected to punishments including fines and/or jail time. In recent years, many organizations have taken additional steps to further protect themselves from mail bombings, including providing users with advice such as changing passwords frequently and utilizing anti-virus software to detect malicious emails.
