NeonWizard Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 Vast networks of home computers are being rented out without their owners' knowledge to spammers, fraudsters and digital saboteurs, security experts said on Wednesday. The terminals have been infected by a computer virus, turning them into "zombies"--slaves to the commands of a malicious and unseen controller. Connect them all up, and the result is a powerful network of zombie PCs that security experts call a "botnet." The programming crooks--often teenage bedroom hackers--are hiring out these networks to anyone who wants to commit Internet mischief. "Small groups of young people creating a resource out of a 10,000- to 30,000-strong computer network are renting them out to anybody who has the money," a source in Scotland Yard's computer crime unit told Reuters. There may be millions of such PCs around the world doing the bidding of crime gangs, experts say, and they can be rented for as little as $100 per hour. Read Article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 Is there any proof of this happening or is it the result of some overimaginative journalist after a heavy lunch visiting the rock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Man Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 I've heard this somewhere before.A hacker creates a network, and uses a trojan to make all the computers affected, think his computer is a router. Therefore sending all information through his computer. This means, he can read, store, or alter the information passing through as he pleases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluecow Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 Read this.I think this is what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Man Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Very interesting Bluecow. I'll read that all later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Man Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 wow. :o Just finished reading the article Bluecow posted.I, an average user, use the internet for purposes such as e-mail, updates/patches, forums, and instant messaging. To see that my computer can be used for such things without my permission (or at least not known permission) is utterly sickening. This is the reason I ALWAYS update software (especially windows) and encourage everyone I know to do the same.I don't know what to say about this, but I will say, protect yourself. Keep up to date and informed about security issues. We have the ability to stop (or at least slow) this type of thing from happening. It's too bad not everyone knows how.wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Elf Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 This also makes interesting reading toohttp://www.grcsucks.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Man Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Oh come on, I've already spent an hour reading the other one!but after reading the main page, I think I may have to go deeper. I agree that most of what he says is opinion, but the page I read (the attack againt GRC) had a lot more of 'what happened from his point of view' rather than facts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Elf Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 It's worth persevering. A different viewpoint helps sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Man Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 It's worth persevering. A different viewpoint helps sometimes.It always helps. :D Why do you think we have Prosecution and Defense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Elf Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Cashflow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Man Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 :o Are you saying lawyers are greedy? They barely make enough to get by, don't knock them! :whistling: :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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