Tools drive point-and-click crime
BBC News reports that new software tools make stealing data from users as easy as browsing the web. The easy-to-use tools are being created by malicious and criminal hackers to run the networks of compromised home computers they control.
The web-based tools put a friendly front-end on managing the compromised machines making up so-called botnets. Before now the preferred method of controlling botnets has been using Internet Relay Chat via a server that the malicious hacker or criminal owns. The tools also change the type of traffic passing between controlling server and bot. This makes it harder for firewalls and other security programs to spot and stop communication between the two.
Given the gazillion compromised zombie machines out there its quite scary that another level of less sophisticated hackers can now get in on the action.
The web-based tools put a friendly front-end on managing the compromised machines making up so-called botnets. Before now the preferred method of controlling botnets has been using Internet Relay Chat via a server that the malicious hacker or criminal owns. The tools also change the type of traffic passing between controlling server and bot. This makes it harder for firewalls and other security programs to spot and stop communication between the two.
Given the gazillion compromised zombie machines out there its quite scary that another level of less sophisticated hackers can now get in on the action.
posted by Dwaine at 8/18/2005
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home