Botnet computers, also known as zombies, can be used by criminal hackers to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks, spread spam messages or to steal confidential information.
Los Angeles-based Schiefer, who used the names "Acid" and "Acidstorm" online, faces charges of developing and distributing malware to poorly-defended computers, and then using them for the purposes of identity theft. Having stolen PayPal usernames and passwords, Schiefer and other gang members, made purchases from unwitting victims' accounts.
Under terms of a plea agreement filed by Schiefer on November 9, he will plead guilty to four felony counts: accessing protected computers to conduct fraud, disclosing illegally intercepted electronic communications, wire fraud and bank fraud.
"Everyone who has a computer runs the risk of it becoming part of a cybercriminal botnet. Only by properly securing PCs with up-to-date anti-virus, firewalls, security patches and a good serving of common sense, can consumers defend themselves from having their Windows computers silently taken over by hackers for their own ends," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "The authorities should be applauded for investigating crimes like this and bringing criminals to justice, but there are plenty of other hackers engaged in these activities who are still managing to escape the clutches of the law."
As spammers become more aggressive, collaborating with virus writers to create armies of zombie computers, legitimate organizations with hijacked computers are being identified as a source of spam. This not only harms the company's reputation, but can also cause the business's e-mail to be blocked by others.
