Use Benchmark Email for Email Marketing
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Blog
  • Email Marketing
  • More
Login Sign Up Free EN
×
  

Our Company

  • About Us
  • Our Brand Assets
  • Updates
  • Our Customers
  • Partner Program

Learn

  • Manuals
  • Webinars
  • Video Tutorials
  • Knowledge Base

User Resources

  • Integrations & Plugins
  • Developers/APIs
  • Marketplace

Get in Touch

  • Live Chat
  • Email Us
Call Us
  • INTL 001.562.252.3789
  • USA 800.430.4095
  • UK (+44) 20 3695 2266
  • Switzerland (+41) 43 508 4676
English
  • Español
  • Deutsch
  • 繁體中文
  • 简体中文
  • 日本語
  • Italiano
  • Português (BR)
  • Français

Select your language

  • English
  • Español
  • Deutsch
  • 繁體中文
  • 简体中文
  • 日本語
  • Italiano
  • Português (BR)
  • Français
  • You are here - Home
  • Email Marketing Resources
  • Trends, Spam, Privacy and Regulation
  • Microsoft Halts Spam Botnet Waledac
Email Resources
  • Email Marketing Resources
  • Email Marketing Video Tutorials
  • Email Marketing Webinars
  • Email Marketing Articles
  • Free HTML Email Templates
  • Email Marketing Terms
  • Email Marketing Newsletter
  • Email Marketing Manuals
  • Developer's Corner
Search Archives
Archive
March 2010 (3)
February 2010 (4)
January 2010 (6)
December 2009 (8)
November 2009 (6)
October 2009 (6)
September 2009 (5)
August 2009 (7)
Monthly
Weekly
Partners & Affiliates
Free Email Marketing
from Benchmark

Microsoft Halts Spam Botnet Waledac

Mar 06 2010, 02:16 AM 

Microsoft put on its spy glasses when it investigated Operation b49, otherwise known as Waledac. Waledac was an international internet spam bot infecting hundreds of thousands of consumers worldwide. If this number of people who have been infected by the viruses rampant on the internet sounds big, it is. This is a huge number of people who are affected by this scam. It is thought to be developed by criminals, intent on sending possibly 1.5 billion spam emails daily from internet domains like discountfreesms.com. In a bold move, Microsoft filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against 27 anonymous criminals, seeking injunctive relief in the form of a temporary restraining order for over 270 domains.

Microsoft admits it has never gotten involved in a lawsuit to take down a botnet before. The restraining order was eventually granted, and Microsoft began to block internet access to the criminals sending spam, without their even knowing it. Richard Boscovich says that there many more challenges to come. He adds, “How do w go about stopping a botnet of this magnitude?” and he is not the only one wondering what to do next. Boscovich, senior attorney for Micorsoft’s World Wide Internet Security Program added, “In essence, how do you go about disconnecting all of the robot computers from the bot-herder?” He understands that the only way would be to build a wall to block the bot-herder, and the command computer. This way, they could cut and sever the control or “umbilical cord of the bot-herder from his bots. Once the control is severed, he would not be able to sell his robot army to other criminals, confirmed Boscovich.

The truth is, Operation b49 did stop the bot-herder connections as planned. The majority of Waledac-infected computers are receiving some protection from the main computer or command computer issuing directives to continue infecting computers around the world. The restraining order is working to serve as a means to cut off communication. But the already infected computers will need some special servicing to restore full functions. “In the case of Waledac,…the bot-herder instructs these computers to send spam.” This spam is meant to trick consumers into clicking on a link that will infect their computers. The link acts to reel them in, sucking them into the larger area of the botnet. Many of these counterfeit emails look like e-cards or links to fake pharmaceuticals. If you have ever seen one of these, and discovered a suspicious link, you have been in the presence of the Waledac botnet.

Microsoft suggests everyone with internet access use anti-malware software to clean the Waledac software from their computers regularly. Many people believe that their security system in place will find the botnets trying to infect their system. Since this may or may not be true, it is better to run continuous sweeps to ferret out the botnets intent on crashing your system. This is one place it will pay to be careful clicking on links, and downloading information from unfamiliar websites.

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/195793.asp?from=blog_last3

  • Getting Started
  • Email Newsletter Templates
  • Email List Management
  • Email Campaigns
  • Email Delivery Management
  • Email Tracking and Reporting
  • Online Surveys
  • Dedicated Email Server
  • Email Education And Support
  • Resources
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Email Marketing Video Tutorials
  • Free HTML Email Newsletter Templates
  • Email Marketing Articles
  • Email Marketing Terms
  • Email Marketing Newsletter
  • Benchmark Business Blog
  • About Benchmark
  • Email Marketing Company
  • Our Customers
  • Press Room
  • Security & Privacy
  • Integrations & Plugins
  • Developers/APIs
  • Partner Program
  • Email Newsletter Community
  • Call Us:
    USA: 800.430.4095
    INT: 001.562.252.3789
  • Privacy Policy
  • Anti-Spam Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Sitemap
Benchmark

Copyright © 2019 Benchmark Internet Group.

  • Youtube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google Plus
English
  • Español
  • Deutsch
  • 繁體中文
  • 简体中文
  • 日本語
  • Italiano
  • Português (BR)
  • Français