Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Botnet Business Model Comes to Life

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the watch-the-little-buggers-multiply dept.

consumerist writes "Researchers at the German Honeynet Project have discovered that a malicious hacker earned about $430 in a single day installing spyware on computers in the latest Windows worm attack. Within 24 hours, the IRC-controlled botnet hijacked more than 7,700 machines via the Windows Server Service vulnerability (MS06-040) and hosed the infected computers with the spyware from DollarRevenue. The botnet operator made between a penny and 30 cents for every piece of spyware installed. Add that to the spam rental and DDoS extortion money and we have a booming business."

6 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Money from DDOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Add that to the spam rental and DDoS extortion money and we have a booming business.

    Hey, ./ editors! Increase your profit! Get money from sysadmins for NOT posting links to their sites!
  2. Oh, Canada! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    >In this case, Holz counted 998 installations in the United States, 20 installations in Canada,
    >103 in the United Kingdom, 756 in China and about 5,800 in other countries.

    20 PCs in the whole freaking country? I am proud to be Canadian for once.

    1. Re:Oh, Canada! by Kreigaffe · · Score: 3, Funny

      Still, that 100% infection rate is nothing to be proud of.. ba-dum ching.

      --
      ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
  3. Re:Cut up any part of the snake! by jaredcat · · Score: 3, Funny
    4) People who can't stop their system from being zombified.


    You hate my grandma?
  4. Re:Follow the Money by Shemmie · · Score: 5, Funny

    We need a +1 Kinky

  5. Re:Your math is bad: $430/day = $67K/year by jimicus · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you're an independent contractor, expect something like 35% tax.

    Riiiiighhht. I can just see the tax form now:

    TAX FORM 2006/7

    Answer all questions in full, or write "NOT APPLICABLE" if the question does not apply

    How much money did you earn in the tax year 2006/2007? $103,200
    What was the source of this income? Illegally hacking overseas computers, extorting money through making DDoS threats