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Spyware Confidential

Larry Dignan, Jason Perlow, Tom Steinert-Threlkeld

More on botnets

By | March 20, 2006, 9:17am PST

Summary: Botnets in the news again — another in-depth look at botnet, keyloggers and how the combination is being used by hackers to steal massive amounts of personal data.

Botnets in the news again — Brian Krebs has another in-depth look at botnet, keyloggers and how the combination is being used by hackers to steal massive amounts of personal data. See "Hacking Made Easy".

Last week I wrote about FaceTime’s investigation into botnets using instant messaging to steal personal information and intercept financial transactions. ReveNews posted an interview with the informer who helped crack the case. Former hacker RinCe tells how he got involved with hacking, bots and bot trading.

RinCe: Well, someone I’d known from way back sent me a random message on IM, asking me if I would swap a Paypal account for 10 credit card numbers. Obviously I didn’t have anything to give him, but I did wonder how he had so many credit card numbers. So I ask, and he simply blurts out that they’re using a script to steal online databases of CC numbers. Next thing, he’s sent me the script. They trusted me as I didn’t make a big “public” deal of dropping out of the scene at the time I got hacked.

The full interview is here.

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Biography

Suzi Turner is webmaster and owner of SpywareWarrior.com, a comprehensive site that includes a spyware help forum, spyware blog and reviews of anti-spyware software by noted spyware expert Eric L. Howes. Suzi became angry about spyware in 2002 after being infected by a drive-by-download of a browser hijacker and unwanted adware/spyware and decided to help others in the same predicament. In April 2005, Microsoft awarded Suzi its MVP (Most Valued Professional) Award in recognition of her work to help internet users protect their privacy by removing and preventing spyware. Suzi is also a nurse for a national disability management company.

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