Botnet and Malware Creators Secure Own IP Space

Kaspersky Lab, an Internet security company, has found that cyber criminals gangs, which create and distribute botnets, are following a new trend. Rather than just attack single computers, they are currently exploiting vulnerabilities and slackness in datacenters.

Kaspersky security experts state that botnets, which are networks of PCs contaminated with malware, have till now been single contaminated PCs. These PCs became infected when their owners unwittingly accessed a malicious website or a similar web-link sent by an unknown person or even someone known because the systems were not adequately guarded with anti-malware software.

The reports state that malware and botnet owners are establishing personal ISPs using personal IP blocks so that their spam operations remain unchallenged from spam-fighters.

The security investigators explain that the criminals would purchase computer servers and install them inside a massive datacenter following which they would apply for a huge IP space. Sometimes, the applicants just have to give the reason for wanting the IP space and nothing more, the investigators state. Beyond that there isn't any other investigation before the IP zone is granted to the applicants.

Cyber criminals doing this pose a great hazard to certain regions, especially in the Caribbean and some Europe locales. As these regions have multiple languages and several jurisdictions, confusion and problems arise with tracking down the precise online activities of the criminals, explain the security specialists.

Nonetheless, once the IP space gets allocated to potential criminals, the process of reversing it could be lengthy as well as difficult. However, the criminals would utilize an IP block till the time they find it handy and lucrative.

Commenting on this set-up, the security specialists stated that it had become an effective technique for those who operated botnets to distribute huge spam and e-cards. Attackers owning large IP spaces could easily conceal their activities compared to attackers who needed to make the same effort through legal hosting providers/ISPs. Due to the formers activities, no affected consumer had a place to complain of abuse or had recourse to following attacks via certain specified IP addresses.

Related article: Botnet Misuses Google Analytics

» SPAMfighter News - 1/2/2010