Have you ever wondered where all that spam clogging up your inbox originated? To really understand modern spam and the shady forces behind it, we need to go way back in time – to 1978 to be exact.
That‘s when one sales pitch kicked off a chain of events that profoundly shapes your online experience even today. Curious to learn the real story? Settle in and let‘s explore the fascinating tale of the first internet spam message!
What Was ARPANET?
Our story starts not on today‘s internet but on its early precursor – ARPANET. ARPANET was launched in 1969 by the U.S. Department of Defense as a way for university researchers to access computing resources at other institutions.
So rather than cat memes or social media, ARPANET traffic consisted mostly of scientists transferring data or communicating about research projects via email.
Email in particular was a breakout early application on ARPANET. But there was basically no commercial activity whatsoever…until Gary Thuerk came along.
Thuerk Ushers In a Spammy New Era
On May 3, 1978, a bold marketer named Gary Thuerk [1] had an idea for using ARPANET‘s email system for his own commercial aims. He compiled the addresses of approximately 400 ARPANET users and proceeded to send them all a brazen sales advertisement pitching his company DEC‘s brand new computer system.
Now if you‘re imagining your Gmail spam folder, that message would barely register today. But in 1978, it shattered all conventions of appropriate ARPANET use!
Many recipients were outraged by the intrusive tactic. Some even threatened to ban Thuerk from accessing ARPANET altogether. Part of why people were so angry is that under ARPANET‘s early payment system, users footed the bill for incoming messages – so Thuerk‘s spam literally cost each recipient around $0.25 (in today‘s money) against their will!
But while Thuerk faced scorn from his targets, he succeeded in his aim to promote DEC computers. So despite the backlash, the first internet spam message announced the arrival of a brand new form of advertising on networks like ARPANET.
The Vikings Who Made "Spam" a Thing
Thuerk earned the title of first internet spammer for his 1978 stunt. But surprisingly, the popular shorthand "spam" for unwelcome bulk messages comes from a 1970 Monty Python comedy sketch!
In the sketch, a group of loud Vikings drown out conversation in a café by obnoxiously singing "spam, spam, spam…" as a chorus whenever Spam luncheon meat appears on the menu [2].
Internet pioneer Richard Depew borrowed the nonsense Viking chant in 1993 when testing early email filters. His friend noted all the gibberish flooding inboxes was reminiscent of the Monty Python Spam skit. The name stuck and became synonymous with unwanted emails and messages online.
So next time spam chokes up your inbox, you can blame both misbehaving Vikings AND a rogue computer salesguy from the 70s!
Spam Matures Into a $200 Billion Scourge
Early ARPANET spam opened the floodgates. As affordable home internet boomed through the 80s and 90s, spam tactics exploded in scale and sophistication.
Today‘s spam permeates across communication channels and dominates devices. To give you a sense of scale, feast your eyes on these mind-boggling statistics:
- A jaw-dropping 247 billion spam emails flood inboxes every day on average (2023 Data Privacy Statistics Report)
- Over 33 terawatt hours of electricity is gobbled up annually sending trillions of spam messages globally (SolarWinds estimate)
- Spam economy estimated at $200 billion+ supporting shady industries ranging from junk pharmaceuticals to financial fraud (Multiple Sources)
- Up to 20% of employee productivity lost dealing with spam during working hours (McAfee)
- 26% of 2022 data breaches involved email spoofing to harvest user data (Tessian‘s State of Data Breaches Report)
And because spam remains so profitable for crime rings despite rising penalties (up to $43k per violation!), the volumes only increase year after year.
Below I‘ll break down major categories so you know what flavors of spam to watch out for in the modern era.
Email Phishing
Phishing aims to trick users into inputting passwords, bank details, etc. by mimicking trustworthy contacts or companies. These cons now launch over 1 million new scam sites monthly adapted to current events to boost success.
Financial Reward Scams
Get-rich promises and bogus foreign investments lead targets on with visions of wealth before demanding "taxes" or "fees". Global losses to financial spam scams exceeded $8 billion since 2019 according to FBI complaints.
Advertising Spam
Pesky popup ads peddling dubious products, shameless clickbait, and shady services bombard sites. And inboxes too – advertisers pay spammers to blast as many as possible. Ad blocking company AdGuard clocks over 1 trillion spammy ads displayed last year alone!
Malware-Laced Messages
Instead of ads, crooks spam malware links disguised as critical device notifications. Once users click infected links or attachments, viruses, spyware and trojans attack networks and steal data. Around 20% of companies suffered infections via spam emails in 2021 (Apricorn).
As you can see, that first clumsy spam message to ARPANET unleashed an absolute deluge targeting inboxes across communication channels today.
So how do we clear out the muck and take back control of our online experiences in 2023?
Cutting Through Modern Spam
Early ARPANET pioneers relied on social shaming and threats when facing unwanted spam. Today our technological defenses are far stronger, though crooks work harder too.
Here are tips I can offer based on covering this ecosystem to secure your data:
Carefully Inspect Messages
Stay vigilant for shady links, unbelievable offers, requests for sensitive data, grammar/spelling red flags, etc. The more examples you see, the better you recognize spam hallmarks instinctively.
Leverage Email Filters
Most email providers filter spam automatically these days. But help yours improve by deleting or reporting suspicious messages unopened, rather than confirming your active address by unsubscribing.
Utilize Adblocking Tools
Browser extensions halt annoyances, stop privacy-invading tracker scripts, and filter out dangerous malware payloads. I rely on AdGuard to block spam and enjoy safer browsing.
Install Security Suites
Protection software with integrated anti-spam and anti-phishing modules applies vital threat detection across your devices and accounts. Symantec‘s suites stopped 87% of spam and 89% of targeted phishing attacks last year.
While tactics and technology continuously evolve in this arms race, the motivations and human psychology vulnerabilities behind spam largely remain unchanged since 1978.
Gary Thuerk never intended to unleash a trillion dollar criminal enterprise when advertising DEC computers over ARPANET. But by disregarding etiquette and chasing profit despite backlash, his first internet spam message signaled a lucrative new frontier for shady opportunists we still combat today.
So next time you slog through a spam-clogged inbox, feel free to direct a bit of frustration at the Vikings echoing "spam, spam, spam" as well as at the ambitious salesguy who started it all!
References:
[1] Gary Thuerk, Spam‘s Patient Zero
[2] Monty Python‘s Flying Circus, Spam Sketch (1970)
