More than 100 people nabbed in global hacker crackdown
The FBI and police in several countries have arrested more than 100 people and conducted hundreds of searches in recent days in a global crackdown on hackers linked to the malicious software called Blackshades, two law enforcement officials told CNN.
The years-long investigation is targeting one of the most popular tools used by cybercriminals to hijack computers around the world.
The malware sells for as little as $40. It can be used to hijack computers remotely and turn on webcams, access hard drives and capture keystrokes to steal passwords without the victim’s knowledge.
Criminals have used it for everything from extortion to bank fraud, the FBI says.
People familiar with the investigation say U.S. prosecutors were expected to announce some of the results of the law enforcement effort later Monday.
The FBI recently promised to make arrests and indictments to combat what it says are increasing criminal intrusions.
In one well-publicized extortion case last year, a hacker used Blackshades to spy on Cassidy Wolf, Miss Teen USA.
I’ve had a piece of duct tape over the camera in my laptop for maybe a year, or whenever it was you guys warned us about this kind of hacking threat.
The fact that this sort of hacking exploited Miss Teen USA, and committed initially by a personal “friend”, I hope will make a HUGE impact large enough to “shake-up” brains in our kids heads, and put some parents on stronger notice. Most don’t develop “common sense” nearly fast enough, if ever.
As for the industrial espionage on US companies by China. Nothing new there. The US companies have known about this espionage for decades. What did they do? Move their company (and jobs) to, or build a branch of it, in China. Don’t feel sorry them at all.
I don’t use my Web Cam on my desktop or on the laptop! Don’t use them, don’t need them! I removed the programs in both computers…..using Revo, and then running CCleaner after as well …..to clean the registry! And I’m just cynical enough to STILL have black tape over the cameras!
We have lost our moral compass in society today….and that’s by total design…..and there’s very little common sense out there that I can see! Far too many people don’t think for themselves and apparently they don’t believe there are consequences for their actions! Sadly, that seems to be by design as well. But, alas, that’s a whole other issue!
We need to be pro-active with our security…..for our own safety!