The February State of Spam Report has just been published (available to download here) and while it was widely predicted and not unexpected, spam levels continue to rise post-McColo shutdown, accounting for over 79 percent of all email in recent days. The speed with which spammers have returned to business is not totally unexpected. Let's remember that as long as the profit motive exists for spammers, new spam campaigns will continue to emerge. There have been a few changes on the “spamscape” since McColo was shut down in November 2008. The presence of active zombies around the world continues to shift and while the United States retains the “honor” of being the primary region of origin for spam, and has consistently been one of the largest sources of spam, new botnets in Latin America and Asia are increasingly driving spam campaigns since the McColo shutdown. There are several reasons behind the shift in the region of origin for spam, but it is notable that countries such as Brazil, India, and China have a burgeoning middle class where Internet penetration is high and access to broadband is on the increase. Additionally, IT security laws and regulations vary widely across the globe and an emphasis on security may not always be a primary concern for users in these regions. As it is February, Valentine’s Day spam is in full swing with spammers providing some “suggestions” for the perfect gift for your loved ones this year. Valentine’s Day is among the many holidays that are expected to be exploited by spammers in 2009. To read about these and other trends, such as the spammers' continued abuse of the .cn ccTLD, U.S. President Obama, and the connection with malicious code, please visit the Symantec State of Spam website and the February State of Spam Report.