Botnets (found Information with Blogs.aol.fr)

Vast domestic computer networks are rented, without the knowledge of their owners, spammeurs, swindlers and saboteurs, indicated Wednesday of the experts in safety. These machines were infected by a data-processing virus which transforms them into "zombie", the name given to a computer controlled remotely thanks to a virus.
By connecting them, one obtains powerful networks of infected computers that the experts who speak about "botnets".
The criminals propose with those which want to commit offences on Internet to rent these computer networks, which have the sufficient power to paralyse corporate networks.
"Of the small groups of young people who create networks from 10.000 to 30.000 computers rent them with no matter whom, provided that they have money", at Reuters a source within the unit of the data-processing crimes of Scotland Yard indicated.
According to experts', there could be million computers zombies in the world, which can be rented starting from 100 dollars of the hour. Thanks to the data-processing power of a few thousands of compromised computers, a spammor can send a flood of message not solicited which seem to come from a private individual. Swindlers known under the name of "phishers" also use these networks to send messages and to lodge sites which are made pass for those of banks, and to thus obtain to the banking co-ordinates deluded people, explain the experts. The botnets are also used for sabotage, indicated the police force. Some fear that these networks are used to paralyse an important data network or Web sites.
"One speaks about a serious fire power", explained the source. FAVORITE METHOD OF THE SPAMMEURS. The botnets multiplied since last summer, when a wave of virus seeking to take the control of PC of private individuals had struck Internet. The task of the pirates was facilitated by the multiplication of connections to high flow, an essential quality of a good zombie. A few months after these attacks, the experts and the police force noticed that groups of infected computers were proposed on forums of discussions. These machines would initially have been rented with spammeurs.
"The method of Spamming preferred passes by the botnets, and there is much money to be done by renting them", estimated Mark Sunner, director of technology at MessageLabs, a company of computer security. Recently, of the botnets Internet sites paralysed.
"It is refusal of service to be rented", indicated Steve Linford, founder of association antispam SpamHaus Project. The refusal of service is a technique used to paralyse the networks and the sites by submerging the waiters of simultaneous connections.
"If you want to paralyse a large Internet site, you can rent a Russian botnet. And when it is directed against your computer, it more nothing to make there", added Linford. The list of the victims of the botnets lengthens each week. It counts already several sites of casinos and WorldPay, the system of payment on line of Royal Bank off Scotland. The investigations have for the moment led to teenagers who sought to rent at the best price their armies of PC controlled remotely with spammeurs and swindlers.
"We think that many the operations, like the writing of the virus and the trade of proxies (note: computers plugs), is ensured by kids", estimated Mikko Hypponen, person in charge for antivirus research at F-Secure. "Us think that criminal groups are also implied but it seems that they use these kids as labour ".

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