ANTHONY
30-11-2007, 11:38 PM
[/URL] New Zealand VR-4 and BMW owner accused of controlling botnet of 1.3 million computers
An 24-year-old New Zealand youth with a VR-4 and a BMW is under suspicion of infecting over 1.3 million computers worldwide with a worm in order to create a botnet which he then used to carry out DDoS attacks, among other things, without the knowledge of unsuspecting PC users. According to Australian and New Zealand media sources, the botnet had allegedly been used for an attack on IRC servers and systems of various security firms, whereby a University of Philadelphia server was inadvertently taken out.
Operating under the codename "AKILL", the New Zealand youth accused of deploying the [URL="http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=WORM_AKBOT.U"]AKBot (http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/) worm was arrested in collaboration with the FBI and is under interrogation, according to New Zealand police. "He is extremely clever", said Maarten Kleintjes, head of the department for computer criminality, "he is one of the best in the world at developing this type of software", the dpa reports.
The 24-year-old is accused of heading a global gang known as the "A-Team" which operated primarily in New Zealand, Holland and the USA. The damage caused is estimated to amount to some EUR 13.5 million. The youth's computer was seized during the police raid and is now being examined.
Parallel to events in New Zealand, the FBI reports (http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/botroast112907.htm) that eight suspects have been charged and have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted for botnet activities within the framework of operation "Bot Roast" which has been active since June. In addition, 13 arrest warrants have been issued
An 24-year-old New Zealand youth with a VR-4 and a BMW is under suspicion of infecting over 1.3 million computers worldwide with a worm in order to create a botnet which he then used to carry out DDoS attacks, among other things, without the knowledge of unsuspecting PC users. According to Australian and New Zealand media sources, the botnet had allegedly been used for an attack on IRC servers and systems of various security firms, whereby a University of Philadelphia server was inadvertently taken out.
Operating under the codename "AKILL", the New Zealand youth accused of deploying the [URL="http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=WORM_AKBOT.U"]AKBot (http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/) worm was arrested in collaboration with the FBI and is under interrogation, according to New Zealand police. "He is extremely clever", said Maarten Kleintjes, head of the department for computer criminality, "he is one of the best in the world at developing this type of software", the dpa reports.
The 24-year-old is accused of heading a global gang known as the "A-Team" which operated primarily in New Zealand, Holland and the USA. The damage caused is estimated to amount to some EUR 13.5 million. The youth's computer was seized during the police raid and is now being examined.
Parallel to events in New Zealand, the FBI reports (http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/botroast112907.htm) that eight suspects have been charged and have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted for botnet activities within the framework of operation "Bot Roast" which has been active since June. In addition, 13 arrest warrants have been issued