FBI says mastermind of botnet nabbed

[Hum]

WASHINGTON ? International authorities have arrested a computer hacker believed responsible for creating the malicious computer code that infected as many as 12 million computers, invading major banks and corporations around the world, FBI officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

A 23-year-old Slovenian known as Iserdo was snagged in Maribor, Slovenia, after a lengthy investigation by Slovenian Criminal Police there along with FBI and Spanish authorities.

His arrest comes about five months after Spanish police broke up the massive cyber scam, arresting three of the alleged ringleaders who operated the so-called Mariposa botnet, stealing credit cards and online banking credentials. The botnet ? a network of infected computers ? appeared in December 2008 and infected more than half of the Fortune 1,000 companies and at least 40 major banks.

Botnets are networks of infected PCs that have been hijacked from their owners, often without their knowledge, and put into the control of criminals.

Jeffrey Troy, the FBI's deputy assistant director for the cyber division, said Tuesday that Iserdo's arrest is a major break in the investigation. He said it will take the alleged cyber mastermind off the street and prevent him from updating the malicious software code or somehow regaining control of computers that are still infected.

Officials declined to release Iserdo's real name and the exact charges filed against him, but said the arrest took place about 10 days ago and the man has been released on bond.

"To use an analogy here," said Troy, "as opposed to arresting the guy who broke into your home, we've arrested the guy that gave him the crowbar, the map and the best houses in the neighborhood. And that is a huge break in the investigation of cyber crimes."

source

[x-byte]

Good news!

[Phenom II]

Less Viagra emails now ?

[e-berlin.org]

FBI doesn't know sh** about the real masterminds, the can only arrest 23-yo kiddos.

[c3ntury]

FBI doesn't know sh** about the real masterminds

& neither do you. & you would be surprised on what the FBI have accomprised in terms of cyber-crime. Not alot of people who do it get caught, but they at least catch a few of them eventually. Its a big internet.

[Growled Member]

Hackers seem to have it a bit rougher these days. Glad they got him, myself.

[bjoswald]

Good to know the feds are cracking down on these pricks, but when one is busted, three more pop up in their place.

[Solid Knight]

Whatever happened to the good old days where bad guys mysteriously died in car accidents.

[Ruciz]

Whatever happened to the good old days where bad guys mysteriously died in car accidents.

...They stopped using cars? can always hope the redbull and pizza diet does them in

The problem arises when you try to launder this 'hard' earned cash, people notice.. it always gets ya. Cyber crime is like a slot machine you can never cash out with really.

[Solid Knight]

...They stopped using cars? can always hope the redbull and pizza diet does them in

Yeah, they could mysteriously die from a contaminated pizza. That's some good out of the box thinking there. You should join the FBI.