Microsoft Takes Down Botnets Of Online Banking Thieves

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) has taken down a number of malware-spreading botnets that infected millions of computers worldwide and stole more than $100 million from financial institutions and other businesses.
Under the escort of U.S. Marshals and with a warrant from a federal judge, Microsoft and two other co-plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the unidentified botnet operators seized command-and-control servers in Lombard, Ill., and Scranton, Penn., the Redmond, Wash.-based software maker said late Sunday. A federal court in New York granted permission for the seizure, which included taking control of 800 domains used in the criminal network.
According to court papers, Microsoft disrupted a botnet of 13 million computers, including 3 million in the U.S., that spread the Zeus family of malware that included the SpyEye and Ice-IX variants. The malware tracks a computer user's online activity and records keystrokes, so it can steal the user name and password when a victim visits an online banking site.
The Zeus-related malware has caused more than a half-billion dollars in damages to businesses, according to Microsoft. The botnets taken down Friday following a month-long investigation stole more than $100 million over the last five years.

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