Slashdot Mirror
Interview with a Botmaster
An anonymous reader writes "The Washington Post is running a fascinating feature profiling a couple of botnet operators who make thousands of dollars each month installing adware on machines they infect. This is by far the most detailed examination of this issue I've seen so far -- and includes an interview with the CEO of 180Solutions, as well as interviews with some of the botmasters' victims. From the story: 'Most days, I just sit at home and chat online while I make money,' 0x80 says. 'I get one check like every 15 days in the mail for a few hundred bucks, and a buncha others I get from banks in Canada every 30 days.' He says his work earns him an average of $6,800 per month, although he's made as much as $10,000. Not bad money for a high school dropout.'"
Selling crack to highschoolers he could make a multiple of that.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
The young hacker, who has agreed to be interviewed only if he isn't identified by name or home town,...
... I'm sorta surprised they haven't caught me yet," he says.
From the attached photo: LOCATION: Roland, OK
"To tell the truth
Oops.
Follow your Euro bills at EBT
I kill botmasters for money. Quick and Discrete. Give target's name and credit card number (with sec. code) on the thread to order.
You're just jealous because I've been chatting online with hot babes all day!
The worst thing is that Microsoft is going to make m/billions more by charging $49.95 a year from every freaked-out Windows user who reads this article and it still won't do a damn thing to help them.
I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
From TFA:
0x80 says he got into writing viruses by accident after logging onto an AOL chat room named "Lesbians Only."
.]
"Someone sent me a virus that made it so that every time I typed anything on the keyboard it would pop a message up on the screen that said, 'I'M [expletive] GAY!'" 0x80 recalls. [. .
After that, 0x80 became obsessed with computer viruses and dedicated nearly all his time to tinkering with them.
So if any of you know the moron who spent his free time 7 years ago distributing comical viruses via lame AOL chat rooms. . . give him this message: the tech community which spends disgusting amounts of time fixing the problems your prodigy generates would like a word with you.
Come alone.
I feel sorry for the guys parents and wonder what they did wrong.
They had sex. Next question.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
So then slashdot is a religion?
Yeah, you're right of course ... And actually I do remember the first few links being relevant ... I suppose my initial memory of the event was obscured by the porno just a few links down ... damn you porno, damn you
You didn't find out what he had for breakfast this morning?