botnet

Security predictions for 2009

ITworld staff — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:06:32 -0500

Though these predictions are based on primary research and many, many discussions with CSOs, they concern information security only and can be affected by external factors that are unpredictable (at least by me). Case in point: My predictions for 2008 did not take into account a severe downturn in the economy that was underway already at the beginning of the year. Let's hope that my 2009 predictions also miss the mark by assuming a continuation of economic difficulties that turn out to be less severe than predicted. Here goes:

As phishing evolves, criminals switch to malware

ITworld staff — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:41:13 -0500

As security researchers have gotten better at blocking many of the fraudulent e-mail messages that were being sent from botnets, phishing gangs have homed in on a new way to make a buck.

I can't believe he said that! -- The ITwhirled news quiz

abennett — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:29:43 -0500

Who is baffled by the BlackBerry Storm? Who thought running a botnet might be just a bit of fun? Who is feeling the hurt? Can you match the quote to the quoted? Go on, give it a whirl!

Botnet master sees himself as next Bill Gates

ITworld staff — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:44:49 -0500

Owen Walker's future seems brighter today than it did a year ago. Walker, 19, had been facing possible jail time for running a massive botnet, but in July a New Zealand judge ordered him to pay a fine after he pleaded guilty to hacking charges.

New Windows worm builds massive botnet

ITworld staff — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:02:37 -0500

The worm exploiting a critical Windows bug that Microsoft Corp. patched with an emergency fix in late October is being used to build a new botnet, a security researcher said Monday.

Anti-virus no defense against botnets, says vendor

ITworld staff — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:17:22 -0500

A new analysis of botnets has come up with a possible reason for their prodigious ability to infect PCs - many anti-virus programs are near to useless in blocking the binaries used to spread them.

Estonian ISP cuts off control servers for Srizbi botnet

ITworld staff — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:20:07 -0500

An Estonian ISP that temporarily hosted the control servers for a botnet responsible for a large portion of the world's spam has cut off those servers.

Spammers regaining control over Srizbi botnet

ITworld staff — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:38:38 -0500

Security vendors say spammers are reconnecting with hacked PCs used for sending spam as evidenced by a rising number of spam messages circulating on the Internet the last few days.

Spam is silenced, but where are the feds?

ITworld staff — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:42:57 -0500

Two weeks after McColo was dropped by its network providers, the company's data center remains untouched. That frustrates some security researchers who say that the servers used to control these operations could provide a treasure trove of evidence about cybercriminals.

Hosting firm takedown bags 500,000 bots

ITworld staff — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:47:12 -0500

The shutdown last week of a U.S.-based Web hosting company crippled more than 500,000 bots, or compromised computers, which no longer are able to receive commands from criminals, a security researcher said Tuesday.