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Obama Administration Wants More Legal Power To Disrupt Botnets
Trailrunner7 writes: The Obama administration has proposed an amendment to existing United Stated federal law that would give it a more powerful tool to go after botnets such as GameOver Zeus, Asprox and others. In recent years, Justice, along with private security firms and law enforcement agencies in Europe, have taken down various incarnations of a number of major botnets, including GameOver Zeus and Coreflood. These actions have had varying levels of success, with the GOZ takedown being perhaps the most effective, as it also had the effect of disrupting the infrastructure used by the CryptoLocker ransomware.
In order to obtain an injunction in these cases, the government would need to sue the defendants in civil court and show that its suit is likely to succeed on its merits. "The Administration's proposed amendment would add activities like the operation of a botnet to the list of offenses eligible for injunctive relief. Specifically, the amendment would permit the department to seek an injunction to prevent ongoing hacking violations in cases where 100 or more victim computers have been hacked. This numerical threshold focuses the injunctive authority on enjoining the creation, maintenance, operation, or use of a botnet, as well as other widespread attacks on computers using malicious software (such as "ransomware" )," assistant attorney general Leslie Caldwell wrote.
In order to obtain an injunction in these cases, the government would need to sue the defendants in civil court and show that its suit is likely to succeed on its merits. "The Administration's proposed amendment would add activities like the operation of a botnet to the list of offenses eligible for injunctive relief. Specifically, the amendment would permit the department to seek an injunction to prevent ongoing hacking violations in cases where 100 or more victim computers have been hacked. This numerical threshold focuses the injunctive authority on enjoining the creation, maintenance, operation, or use of a botnet, as well as other widespread attacks on computers using malicious software (such as "ransomware" )," assistant attorney general Leslie Caldwell wrote.
Declare bot-nets a utility -- then regulate them.
(ducks and runs)
DoJ has declaired that all computers must join the Federal Botnet so they can't be absorbed into other botnets under a new executive order by the president. In other news, a large new botnet is reaking havoc on the internet. President Obama seeks new powers to deal with this emergent threat. Attacks have increased since the formation of the FedNet, and law enforcement is puzzled as to where the attacks are originating. Homeland Security has requested 900 billion dollars to meet this new mystery threat. This report brought to you by Dumbidum the perscription drug that makes you dumber and believe anything the television says. Side effects include obesity, diabetes, general statements with no meaning, defence of the liberal postion, defence of the conservative postion, divorce, screwed up kids who don't know what gender they are, rectal cancer, and death.