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Microsoft Wins Major Victory Against Zombie Pc Networks

Discussion in 'Microsoft News' started by allheart55 (Cindy E), Sep 13, 2010.

  1. allheart55 (Cindy E)

    allheart55 (Cindy E) Administrator Administrator

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    Microsoft has convinced a judge to grant it legal ownership of 276 web domains previously used to control networks
    of infected PCs. It's the first time this has happened, and the company believes it could be used as a legal weapon.

    The case involves a botnet , created from computers infected with the Waledeac worm . A botnet is short form for
    robot network -- or quite simply, a network of infected computers controlled by one or few individuals.

    Botnet Sends 1.5 Billion Spam Email Messages Per Day
    At one point an estimated 80,000 computers were under part of the botnet and were being used to send 1.5 billion
    spam emails every day, around one per cent of the global total.

    Hackers (and spammers) commonly use the tactic of infecting PCs and sending spam messages in order to legitimize
    (and fool) Email Service Providers (ESPs). Before such a tactic was invented, spam emails typically came from only 1
    source, making unsolicited messages easier to detect and refuse.

    Legal Action Cuts Problem Domains Off
    While Microsoft distributed tools to help remove threats such as the Waledac worm, it was legally restricted in what
    it could do to prevent infected computers from being controlled after the fact.

    That changed earlier this year , when it began a case against the owners of the domains which issued instructions to
    the infected machines.

    A court ruled in February that traffic to and from these domains should be cut, which effectively meant the website
    addresses no longer hooked up to the specific machines issuing command-and-control orders, thus leaving infected
    machines unable to make contact with their master.

    In addition, Microsoft was able to take "ethical countermeasures to downgrade much of the remaining peer-to-peer
    command and control communication" with a clear conscience. (Source: technet.com )


    [b][font="Comic Sans MS"]Microsoft Given Permanent Ownership of Botnet Domains [/font][/b][font="Comic Sans MS"]
    [font="Comic Sans MS"]Although the owners of the domains didn't respond to the court action, they did respond in the form of an attempted
    cyber-attack on Microsoft lawyers and researchers. The company went back to court this week to argue that this
    proved the defendants were aware of the case but had chosen not to defend it.

    [font="Comic Sans MS"]On this basis, Microsoft requested that the court give it permanent ownership of the domains in order to prevent future
    use of the botnet. In what is being seen as an unusual ruling, the court has agreed to this forcible transfer of ownership.

    [font="Comic Sans MS"]The defendants will have 14 days to object and make their case; otherwise, the ruling will automatically take effect. Given
    the history of the case and the potential for individuals to face criminal charges, it seems a virtual lock that there won't
    be any objection. (Source: [url="http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2010/09/08/r-i-p-waledac-undoing-the-damage-of-a-botnet.aspx"][font="Comic Sans MS"]technet.com [/font][/url][font="Comic Sans MS"][font="Comic Sans MS"])


    [b][font="Comic Sans MS"]Legal Technique To be Used Again [/font][/b][font="Comic Sans MS"]
    [font="Comic Sans MS"]Microsoft has indicated that it will use this tactic again in the future. A senior company attorney, Richard Boscovich, says
    It's open season on botnets. The hunting licenses have been handed out, and we're coming back for more.
    (Source: [url="http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2010-09-08-botnets08_st_n.htm?loc=interstitialskip"][font="Comic Sans MS"]usatoday.com [/font][/url][font="Comic Sans MS"][font="Comic Sans MS"])

    [font="Comic Sans MS"]One drawback is that the technique will only work for web domains that come under US jurisdiction, such as those ending
    in .com, .net and .org. Although that takes care of a large proportion of domains, it leaves plenty of country-specific
    domains where other tactics will be required.
    [url="http://www.infopackets.com ews/business/microsoft/2010/20100913_microsoft_wins_major_victory_against_zombie_pc_networks.htm"][font="Comic Sans MS"]Full Article [/font][/url][font="Comic Sans MS"][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font]
     
  2. kojak

    kojak Inactive

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    Bravo Zulu !!!
     
  3. allheart55 (Cindy E)

    allheart55 (Cindy E) Administrator Administrator

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  4. kojak

    kojak Inactive

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    Bravo Zulu... military parlance for well done.

    BTW it's Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Gulf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa ( Pa-pa ), Quebec ( K-Bec ), Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-Ray, Yankee, Zulu. ;) [​IMG]


    Be well, fellow patriot. [​IMG]
     
  5. allheart55 (Cindy E)

    allheart55 (Cindy E) Administrator Administrator

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    BTW, NEGAT Bravo Zulu - not well done.... [​IMG]
     
  6. kojak

    kojak Inactive

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  7. BeeCeeBee

    BeeCeeBee ADMINISTRATOR IN MEMORY

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    I think you are both clearly mistaken. It s Bravo SULU (Famous words spoken by Captain Kirk when his helmsman managed to leave space dock without denting the front fender on the Enterprise.)
     
  8. kojak

    kojak Inactive

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    :snckr:
     
  9. allheart55 (Cindy E)

    allheart55 (Cindy E) Administrator Administrator

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    Well, in that case...
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Match

    Match Registered Members

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    Why I'm not that scary?
     

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