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Study Links Storm Botnet's Growth To Illegal Drugs

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the nobody-saw-that-one-coming dept.

talkinsecurity writes "Researchers at IronPort today published a study which claims to have found the 'smoking gun' that links the rapid growth of the Storm botnet to spammers that sell prescription drugs illegally over the Internet. The study shows that more than 80 percent of Storm-generated spam is advertising online pharmacy brands, and further investigation showed that spam templates, credit card processing, product fulfillment and customer support are all being provided by a 'Russian criminal organization' that operates in conjunction with Storm. This criminal organization recruits botnet spamming partners to advertise their illegal pharmacy Websites, which receive a 40 percent commission on sales orders. IronPort went as far as to do pharmacological testing on the products, and found that two-thirds of the drugs contained the wrong dosage of the active ingredient, and the rest were placebos."

11 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. It's True by eldavojohn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Study Links Storm Botnet's Growth To Illegal Drugs When I'm hepped up on goofballs I will install anything on my computer. "MsBlastWorm32BotNetMegaD.exe" attachment from my bro out in Cali? Let's fire 'er up!

    And you don't even want to see my home directory when I'm freebasing Wormwood. Let's just say it's a good thing it's on a totally separate hard drive when I'm riding the green worm.
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    My work here is dung.
  2. But they were blue!?!?! by jeiler · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does that mean the V1@GR@ I got from that nice on-line pharmacy was fake? O.O

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    If you haven't been down-modded lately, you aren't trying.

    Sacred cows make the best hamburger.

  3. Two drug stories in one day? by sm62704 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You guys have GOT to stop reading my journal! Next thing you know slahdot will be have stories about hookers...

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    mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    1. Re:Two drug stories in one day? by eldavojohn · · Score: 4, Funny

      You guys have GOT to stop reading my journal! Next thing you know slahdot will be have stories about hookers... ... or blackjack. In fact, forget the slahdot!
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      My work here is dung.
  4. in soviet russia... by jojowombl · · Score: 0, Funny

    the botnet medicates you...

  5. Re:Highly accurate assesment: by valderost · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you'd been reading your spam, you'd know they're called "chemists" now, and they sell "pilules".

  6. Re:There will always be suckers by bryce4president · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm allergic to opiates (long story, you know college...) There, fixed that for you.
  7. Re:Only one solution then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    [please insert your jokes below] That's what she said.
  8. WOD = Spam? by dazedNconfuzed · · Score: 2, Funny

    If there were _not_ a "War on Drugs", would we see far less spam?

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    Can we get a "-1 Wrong" moderation option?
  9. Whew! by andreMA · · Score: 2, Funny

    What a relief... it's pharmaceuticals, so I can go on buying my marijuana, cocaine, heroin and LSD over the interwebs. I'd hate to support hackers.

  10. My god... by thewesterly · · Score: 2, Funny

    Placebo is the term for the sugar pill given to patients undergoing clinical trial. It is a specific form of fake drug. What these criminals are peddling is not just plain fake drug, not something guaranteed to cause no harm. So this should not be called a placebo. Even the *placebos* are fake? Is nothing sacred?!