Spam is a pain in the neck for most of us. It also costs the U.S. $40 billion a year or $11.50 a month per American. Brian Krebs knows more about this subject than anyone else around. He is an award-winning journalist and founder of the highly acclaimed cybersecurity blog KrebsonSecurity.com. From 1995 to 2009, Krebs was a reporter for The Washington Post, where he covered Internet security, technology policy, cybercrime and privacy issues. The author sets the scene by noting that:

"Spam mail has become the primary impetus for the development of malicious software — programs that strike computers like yours and mine every day — and through them, target our identities, our security, our finances, families, and friends."

Security giant McAfee said it detected 14 million new pieces of malware in the first quarter of 2013 alone. Krebs profiles the gigantic operations of two Russians behind the two largest spam pharmacies. These wheeler dealers are e-thieves who view everything they do as just another business.

Other players in this tangled tale of intrigue are the buyers of products purchased through spam (Americans buy 85% of the stuff they advertise). Law enforcement agencies play a limited role in putting a stop to cybercrime; corporations who are being hurt by spammers and consumers who have been burned are more involved in efforts to slow down junk e-mail operations.

Krebs not only does a top-notch job in covering this epidemic but has some handy tips for all us on ways to deal with the threats lurking in our inbox every day. He has advice on creating passwords and recommends that we update our programs regularly and get rid of the ones we aren't using.