FBI: More Than 1 Million Computers Infected; Hackers Crash Systems, Steal Info

News Type: Event — Seeded on Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:00 AM EDT

Article Source: local6.com

More than 1 million computers - possibly yours, too - are used by hackers as remote-controlled robots to crash online systems, accept spam and steal users' personal information.... The government has no way to track down all the computers, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, that hackers have massed into centrally controlled collections known as botnets.

But the FBI has pulled the plug on several botnet hackers, or zombies. One man was charged this week in a scheme that froze computer systems at Chicago-area hospitals in 2006 and delayed medical services.

What was viewed seven years ago as a kind of prank to boot people off-line has evolved into schemes to defraud people by stealing credit card and Social Security data, by crashing retail Web sites and through "pump-and-dump" online stock deals.

In those stock cases, hackers break into online trading accounts to buy and sell stocks, pumping up the price of those they can liquidate and then dumping them.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Shawn Henry said in an interview Wednesday, "There will likely be spam sent on the heels of this case," people portraying themselves to be from the FBI or saying, 'We're investigating the big botnet case that you heard about and we need to check your computer. Provide us this information.'....

• Click here, then create a "favorite" or "bookmark" & visit daily for more news.

• Want an invite to join Newsvine and make some cash?

Published to:

newsguru's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Newsvine Technology
Regions: none

What's this?

Who's leading the conversation?

This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

1.5

{"commentId":780831,"authorDomain":"newsguru"}

newsguru

It's probably more important these days to inspect your computer regularly than getting your car inspected.

{"commentId":780831,"threadId":"113930","contentId":"781786","authorDomain":"newsguru"}

1 vote

#1 - Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:02 AM EDT

{"commentId":789074,"authorDomain":"sjk"}

sjk

Regular inspections can help but aren't preventative enough. Without constant vigilance (firewalls, virus scanners, etc.) Windows PCs on the public Internet are particularly vulnerable to quickly becoming easy targets for infection and nefarious hijacking.

{"commentId":789074,"threadId":"113930","contentId":"781786","authorDomain":"sjk"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:02 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"113930","isPrivate":false}

NEWSGURU

Backyard

FBI: More Than 1 Million Computers Infected; Hackers Crash Systems, Steal Info

Published to:

FUN STUFF:

COMPANY STUFF:

LEGAL STUFF: