Tuesday, November 8, 2011

FBI's Operation Ghost Click Dismantles DNS Malware Ring

Operation Ghost Click, a two-year investigation by the FBI, has led to the arrest of six Estonians who are charged with running a sophisticated Internet fraud ring that infected millions of computers worldwide. According to the indictment, beginning in 2007, the cyber ring used DNSChanger malware to infect approximately 4 million computers, including about 500,000 infections in the U.S. of PCs belonging to individuals, businesses, and government agencies. The thieves were able to manipulate Internet advertising to generate at least $14 million in illicit fees. In some cases, the malware had the additional effect of preventing users' anti-virus software and operating systems from updating. http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/malware_110911/malware_110911