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25 Percent of All Computers in a Botnet?

Posted by Zonk on from the you-might-be-one-of-them dept.

Beckham's_Ponytail writes to mention an Ars Technica article, with some disturbing news out of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Vint Cerf, one of the 'fathers of the internet', has stated that the number of botnets online is larger than believed. So large, in fact, that he estimates that at this point one in four computers is infected with botnet software. We've discussed the rise of botnets numerous times here on Slashot, but the image of 150 million infected computers is more than a little bit sobering. With the extremely lucrative activities that can be done with botnets (such as password ripping, spamming, DDoSing), as well as reports of organized crime adopting 'cyber-terrorism' as a new line of income, is it likely that law enforcement will ever be able to curb this particular bane?

7 of 408 comments (clear)

  1. How to stop the bots by ProteusQ · · Score: 0, Troll

    Pass a law making it illegal to connect any OS to the internet that cannot be made bot-free.

  2. Where there's a will, there's a way by gorbachev · · Score: 0, Troll

    So far there hasn't been any will to go after botnet operators. A few small time, unorganized crooks, who've been too stupid to cover their tracks properly, have been caught and convicted, but nobody is even thinking of going after the big fish operating from Russia.

    In the "good old days" this problem would've been fixed in 10 seconds by cutting all of Eastern Europe off the net completely. Too bad it can't be done any more.

    --
    In Soviet Russia, I ruled you
    1. Re:Where there's a will, there's a way by Braxton_Bragg · · Score: 0, Troll

      Why was this guy modded a troll ? Cut off the Red Chinese and those stinking Koreans , to while you are at ! They are nothing but parasitical nogoodnik parasite worms.

  3. Re:Request by thewils · · Score: 0, Troll

    Here ya go

    Try this

    Sorry, I just had to do it.

    --
    Once I was a four stone apology. Now I am two separate gorillas.
  4. imho 50% more likely by Qbertino · · Score: 0, Troll

    I'd say the real number is closer to 50%. Lot's of Bots out there that make an effort not to be noticed and just bog down the system. I hear from countless Windows users how slow their boxes are. I'd say it's a sure guess that at least 60% of those are compromised.

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
  5. Re:Request by melikamp · · Score: 0, Troll

    Does anyone know a utility/website for detecting and cleaning bots?

    Microsoft makes great software for that, and it is a part of the default installation. If you can see a "Start" button in the lower left corner of your screen, it means that your computer is probably infected. To clean it, you may try using the Windows installation CD.

  6. Re:Ramen worm by HeroreV · · Score: 0, Troll

    You're crazy. Everybody knows Linux is 100% perfect and has never had the slightest flaw.