Botnet computers under the remote control of a hacker can be used
for the purposes of sending spam and identity theft.
IT security and control firm Sophos has welcomed news that a
teenager from New Zealand, believed to be the brains behind an
international cyber gang, has been arrested.
The gang was allegedly responsible for infecting more then one
million computers, stealing bank and credit card information, and
embezzling more than USD 20 million. It is suspected that the
teenager, known only by his cyber moniker 'AKILL' was the head of
the gang and began his hacking activity while still at school.
According to reports, the arrest, which is part of a
international crackdown on cybercrime, came about following a joint
operation between the FBI and police authorities in New Zealand and
the Netherlands. Possible charges against the teenager could
include unauthorised access to computers and possessing computer
hacking tools - charges that carry a maximum sentence of ten years
in prison. The teenager has been released without charge, but is
reported to be helping police further with their
investigations.
"Most of the time, today's cybercrime is no longer spotty
teenagers simply intent on demonstrating their computing prowess;
rather, it is gangs run by sophisticated criminals for financial
gain," said Carole
Theriault, senior security consultant at Sophos. "This case
shows a merging of these two profiles. Whoever is responsible, this
arrest shows that international cooperation by the authorities can
work. Tackling cybercrime and ensuring appropriately severe
convictions are handed out to guilty parties sends a strong message
to cyber gangs: we will find you and when we do, you will face the
consequences."
Zombie computers - are your PCs under someone else's
control?
Zombie computers, also known as bots, can be used by criminal
hackers to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks, spread
spam messages or to steal confidential information.
As spammers become more aggressive, collaborating with virus
writers to create armies of zombie computers, legitimate
organizations with hijacked computers are being identified as a
source of spam. This not only harms the company's reputation, but
can also cause the business's email to be blocked by others.
Sophos ZombieAlert™
advises service subscribers when any computer on their network is
found to have sent spam to Sophos's extensive global network of
spam traps, and provides rapid notification to customers if their
Internet Protocol (IP) addresses are listed in public Domain Name
Server Block Lists (DNSBL). This information helps customers
locate, disinfect, and protect these systems from future
attacks.
Sophos recommends companies protect themselves with a consolidated solution which can control network
access and defend against the threats of spam, hackers, spyware
and viruses.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.