Hello and welcome to BBC Xtra English!

Everyone hates getting spam emails in their inboxes.

Now computer firm Microsoft has persuaded the courts to shut down a global network of computers that have been producing spam.

The Waledac botnet was one of the ten largest spam-producing computer networks in the U.S.

A botnet is a network of infected computers that spread viruses to other machines.

Computer owners usually don’t realise their machine is part of a botnet which hackers can control from a central computer.

It’s estimated that more than 80% of unsolicited emails come from these networks.

Waledac was sending more than a billion spam emails a day including e-mails to Hotmail accounts for everything from jobs to fake designer goods.

Microsoft described the effect as “devastating”.

In order to have Waledac closed down, Microsoft persuaded a judge to issue a court order behind closed doors.

They said that if the criminal gang behind the organisation had known about it, they would have destroyed the evidence.

Not everyone agrees that Microsoft’s victory will make much difference to computer security.

Some industry experts think that a highly organised botnet like Waledac will be up and running again soon.

Do you get lots of spam? Will the court ruling over Waledac make much difference to computer security? Write to us in English!

هل يصلكم الكثير من البريد الإلكتروني غير المرغوب فيه؟ وهل سيحدث قرار المحكمة ضد شركة واليداك تغيرا في مجال سلامة الكمبيوتر؟

spam

الرسائل غير المرغوبه فيها

persuade

يقنع

global network

شبكة دولية

botnet

شبكة من أجهزة الكمبيوتر تنقل الفيروسات لإجهزة أخرى

hackers

قراصنة الإنترنت

devastating

مدمر

behind closed doors

خلف الأبواب المغلقة

evidence

دليل