Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Russian Cyber Criminal Unmasked As Creator of "Most Successful" Apple Malware

Posted by samzenpus on from the who's-to-blame dept.

DavidGilbert99 writes "It was the malware which affected as many Apple computers as the Conficker worm affected Windows PCs and earned its creator up to $10,000 per day. Until now, no one know who was behind the Flashback Trojan which hit 650,000 computers last year, but security researcher Brian Krebs has managed to uncover the creator as a 30-year-old Russian cyber criminal."

9 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. apples response? by Nyder · · Score: 4, Funny

    based on how they go after prototypes that get lost, you'd think they got an iDrone heading his way....

    --
    Be seeing you...
  2. Cyber criminal by fustakrakich · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does this mean we won't hear the word 'hacker' anymore?

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  3. Russian spam by slackware+3.6 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I had this nice Russian fellow spoofing my email to spam others when I discovered this (thanks to an email from an ISP admin in Denmark) I figured out who he was through his ISP in the Ukraine. I then proceded to phone him at 3am his time every day for weeks. It was awesome. Then after his wife stopped answering the phone and some complaints to his Ukraine ISP his internet service was canceled.

  4. Bad summary by Macman408 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The summary says: "It was the malware which affected as many Apple computers as the Conficker worm affected Windows PCs..."
    This is obviously inaccurately rewritten from what Krebs said, which is "...Flashback [was] roughly as common for Macs as the Conficker Worm was for Windows PCs."

    Those are not equivalent statements. The summary is equating raw numbers, while TFA is equating percentages.

    Sorry, I just read that sentence and thought "no way in hell is that true." As confirmation, Wikipedia says Flashback hit 600,000 Macs, while Conficker infected between 9 and 15 million PCs.

  5. I wouldn't shed a tear by PapayaSF · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wouldn't shed a tear if malware authors and spammers started having fatal accidents. In fact, I'd love it if some tech billionaire had a private hit squad for just that purpose.

    --
    Q: What does the "B." in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stand for? A: Benoit B. Mandelbrot
    1. Re:I wouldn't shed a tear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well, if you ever have jury duty, I really hope you do try to get out of it. If all else fails, show them this comment and how you believe thats correct action.

    2. Re:I wouldn't shed a tear by srussia · · Score: 5, Funny

      In fact, I'd love it if some tech billionaire had a private hit squad for just that purpose.

      "I don't need no stinkin' hit squad! -- John McAfee

      --
      Set your phasers on "funky"!
    3. Re:I wouldn't shed a tear by tehcyder · · Score: 3, Funny

      I wouldn't shed a tear if malware authors and spammers started having fatal accidents. In fact, I'd love it if some tech billionaire had a private hit squad for just that purpose.

      Indeed, I think they should being back public hanging (and disembowelling) for anyone caught stealing anything worth more than a loaf of bread. Those were the days! A nice family day out at Tyburn Tree, and if you were lucky they got the rope length wrong and someone's head was ripped clean off.

      Proportionality is everything.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    4. Re:I wouldn't shed a tear by benjfowler · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The Chinese, the thugs that they are, are onto something.

      Kill the chicken to warn the monkeys.