Operation: Bot Roast
Encyclopedia
Operation: Bot Roast is an operation by the FBI to track down bot herder
s, crackers, or virus coders who install malicious software on computers through the Internet without the owners’ knowledge, which turns the computer into a zombie computer
that then sends out spam to other computers from the compromised computer, making a botnet
or network of bot infected computers. The operation was launched because the vast scale of botnet resources poses a threat to national security
.
. In the process, owners of infected computers were notified, many of whom were unaware of the exploitation.
Some early results of the operation include charges against the following:
Bot herder
Bot herders are hackers who use automated techniques to scan specific network ranges and find vulnerable systems, such as machines without current security patches, on which to install their bot program...
s, crackers, or virus coders who install malicious software on computers through the Internet without the owners’ knowledge, which turns the computer into a zombie computer
Zombie computer
In computer science, a zombie is a computer connected to the Internet that has been compromised by a cracker, computer virus or trojan horse and can be used to perform malicious tasks of one sort or another under remote direction. Botnets of zombie computers are often used to spread e-mail spam...
that then sends out spam to other computers from the compromised computer, making a botnet
Botnet
A botnet is a collection of compromised computers connected to the Internet. Termed "bots," they are generally used for malicious purposes. When a computer becomes compromised, it becomes a part of a botnet...
or network of bot infected computers. The operation was launched because the vast scale of botnet resources poses a threat to national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
.
The results
The operation was created to disrupt and disassemble bot herders. In June 2007, the FBI had identified about 1 million computers that were compromised, leading to the arrest of the persons responsible for creating the malwareMalware
Malware, short for malicious software, consists of programming that is designed to disrupt or deny operation, gather information that leads to loss of privacy or exploitation, or gain unauthorized access to system resources, or that otherwise exhibits abusive behavior...
. In the process, owners of infected computers were notified, many of whom were unaware of the exploitation.
Some early results of the operation include charges against the following:
- Robert Alan Soloway of Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, pleaded guilty to charges of using botnets to send tens of millions of spam messages touting his website. - James C. Brewer, (pseudonym "Sint3k"), of Arlington, TexasArlington, TexasArlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, is accused of infecting tens of thousands of computers worldwide, including some at ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-area hospitals. - Jeanson James AnchetaJeanson James AnchetaOn May 9, 2006, Jeanson James Ancheta became the first person to be charged for controlling large numbers of hijacked computers or botnets.-Biography:...
plead guilty to controlling thousands of infected computers. - Jason Michael Downey (pseudonym "Nessun"), founder of the IRC network RizonRizonRizon is a large Internet Relay Chat network with an average of around 18,000 users. The IRC network itself is well known and ranks number 5 among the largest IRC networks....
, is charged with using botnets to disable other systems. - AkbotAkbotAkbot is the name of a computer virus that added about 1.3 million computers to a botnet network.-Infection:Akbot is an IRC controlled backdoor program. It allows an outside user to take control of the infected computer. Akbot operates by joining IRC servers and the waiting for further instructions...
author Owen WalkerOwen WalkerOwen Thor Walker is a computer hacker living in New Zealand, who was discharged without conviction despite pleading guilty to several charges of 'cybercrime'...
(pseudonym "AKILL") of New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, was tried for various crimes and discharged by the prosecution in 2008. - Ryan Goldstein of Ambler, PennsylvaniaAmbler, PennsylvaniaAmbler is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, approximately 16 miles north of Philadelphia.- Village of Wissahickon:...
, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting another person to gain unauthorized access to a protected computer with accomplice Owen Walker.
See also
- BotnetBotnetA botnet is a collection of compromised computers connected to the Internet. Termed "bots," they are generally used for malicious purposes. When a computer becomes compromised, it becomes a part of a botnet...
- E-mail spamE-mail spamEmail spam, also known as junk email or unsolicited bulk email , is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by email. Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that email is unsolicited and sent in bulk. One subset of UBE is UCE...
- Internet crime
- Internet securityInternet securityInternet security is a branch of computer security specifically related to the Internet. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet represents an insecure channel for exchanging information leading to a high risk of intrusion or fraud,...
- Storm botnetStorm botnetThe Storm botnet or Storm worm botnet is a remotely controlled network of "zombie" computers that have been linked by the Storm Worm, a Trojan horse spread through e-mail spam...
- Lycos EuropeLycos EuropeLycos Europe was a pan-European network of websites, offering services including communication tools, online communities, web search, e-commerce, web hosting, homepage building and Internet access. It was an independent corporation, sharing no corporate structure with Lycos, Inc...
External links
- OnGuardOnline.gov - Botnets and Hackers and Spam (Oh, My!) OnGuardOnline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.
- United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team ST06-001-Understanding Hidden Threats: Rootkits and Botnets