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Malware writers using copy protection

Darren Pauli, ZDNet Australia | January 20, 2011 4:44 AM PST

Malware writers are lifting anti-piracy technology embedded in some of the world's most popular software to protect their own work, according to Symantec.

The antivirus company said writers of complex malware toolkits can embed measures to prevent users from stealing their work. "They are using the same Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology as major software," said Craig Scroggie, managing director of Symantec Pacific. "They will build their own DRM, steal it from the big names or cobble it together."

Most would-be buyers of the toolkits lack the technical understanding to reverse-engineer the DRM measures. The price of a malware toolkit has risen substantially, Scroggie said, from about $15 in 2006 to more than $8000 today. "The premium is because of the success rate," Scroggie said.

For more on this story, read Malware toolkits guarded with stolen DRM on ZDNet Australia.

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Speaking of SONY.
jackrosenboom 6th Aug
I have not forgotten Sony either. I have refused to buy any of their products. I have also refused to buy any movies that they produce.
by breaking someone's DRM to "remove a virus"!
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RE: Malware writers using copy protection
Claud.Cutler@... 20th Jan 2011
@kd5auq -- lol... that's too funny.
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@kd5auq - One can only hope. stupid laws need to be broken stupidly to be eliminated.
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DCMA?
snoop0x7b 20th Jan 2011
The question is if I reverse engineer it can the malware author sue me under the back-asswards DCMA DRM protection clauses :P (Please note this comment is sarcasm, taking it as anything other than that is just silly)
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RE: Malware writers using copy protection
rocket ride 20th Jan 2011
@ snoop0x7b

A government stupid and crooked enough to impose something like the DMCA is dim and crooked enough to let it be used to protect malware writing vermin like, in case you've forgotten, Sony.

Just saying!

-- Paul
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RE: Malware writers using copy protection
fatman65535 Updated - 20th Jan 2011
@rocket ride

Sony, I haven't forgotten THEM!!!! Filthy b-----ds!

Next, we shall see the MVAA ( M alware and V irus A unthors A ssociation) screaming about security companies trying to break 'virii' and 'rootkits'.

It only goes to show that thanks to The Best Government Money Can Buy we have to deal with this s---.

Time for the DMCA to be repealed.
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Speaking of SONY.
jackrosenboom 6th Aug
I have not forgotten Sony either. I have refused to buy any of their products. I have also refused to buy any movies that they produce.

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