Botnet roasting on an open fire

FBI reports successes of operation Bot Roast; McAfee predicts cyber espionage for 2008.

The FBI has revealed that eight individuals have been indicted, pled guilty or been sentenced for crimes related to botnet activity since the start of its 'Operation Bot Roast' in June. The operation, now in its second phase, has also seen the serving of 13 search warrants both in the US and by the FBI's overseas law enforcement partners. According to the FBI the operation has uncovered more than $20 million in economic loss and more than one million victim computers to date.

Meanwhile, McAfee's annual Virtual Criminology Report has suggested that the biggest security threat in 2008 will be international cyber spying. According to the report governments and allied groups are already using the Internet for spying and cyber attacks, with national infrastructure network systems being targeted. The report, which draws information from NATO, the FBI, SOCA and several educational institutions, indicates that as many as 120 countries are currently using the Internet for espionage operations.

03 December 2007

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