Microsoft smashes massive bank fraud botnets

 

Microsoft says it has shut down two of the biggest cybercrime groups using botnets for online fraud and identity theft. Working with financial officials and security partners, Microsoft said it had taken legal and technical measures in a global operation targeting the Zeus family of malware, which has been used to attack banks. Microsoft said the action was possible because it received court backing to seize control and command servers by a New York judge. The officials found that the servers were being used to control networks of computers infected with key-logging software, which was stealing bank passwords and transferring stolen funds. We’ve disrupted a critical source of money-making for digital fraudsters and cyber thieves, while gaining important information to help identify those responsible “With this action, we’ve disrupted a critical source of money making for digital fraudsters and cyber-thieves, while gaining important information to help identify those responsible and better protect victims,” said Richard Boscovich, senior attorney for the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit. “The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit has long been working to combat cybercrime operations, and today is a particularly important strike against cybercrime that we expect will be felt across the criminal underground.” Microsoft said it was only the second time it had seized equipment in raids, and the company and its partners were joined by US marshalls when they removed servers in two hosting locations in the US. The company also took down two IP addresses behind the Zeus command and control structure, and Microsoft said it was also monitoring 800 domains secured in the operation, which are helping to identify thousands of computers infected by Zeus. According to Microsoft, it has identified 13 million computers infected with the Zeus malware since 2007.