Australian ISPs Have Fresh Code For Throttling Zombie Computers

Itwire, which published news on December 1, 2010, reports that one new code-of-practice has been introduced for ISPs to voluntarily adopt towards lessening zombie computers' impact wherein zombie computers mean those systems that are hijacked and added to botnets for disseminating malicious programs.

Called "iCode," the code has come into force through the efforts of IIA (Internet Industry Association) and which the Australian Government supports. States IIA that it's drawing global governments' attention as they struggle to tackle the issues related to numerous contaminated computers that cyber-criminals and possibly Internet-based extremists control.

Reportedly, about 10,000 freshly running zombie computers are created daily in Australia, while this number has reached a maximum of 2m in USA.

Notably, a function of zombie PCs is to seize and transmit passwords as also dispatch data to other systems even as the users remain unaware. Moreover, they even erase data from affected systems alternatively make PCs strike other PCs globally, all in the absence of the users' knowledge.

Meanwhile, with the new iCode, ISPs can now notify clients in case infection has set on their PCs as well as suggest them with ways to tackle the problem. The code's resources, applicable on the Web, consist of self-help tools, along with experts imparting professional assistance like visiting homes in case required.

Also, to build the code, a non-chargeable supervisory facility has been included that ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) launched during 2005. In all, 78 ISPs use this facility for determining if their clients' PCs have been linked up with a botnet.

Says IIA, iCode supplies an approach that's consistent and flexible for Australian Internet Service Providers that want to protect, educate and notify their clients. There are 4 key components in it: a system to inform hijacked PCs; a resource of typical information which consumers can use; an all-inclusive resource that ISPs can use for accessing updated threat details along with a system for informing critical online attacks to CERT-Australia so that the status of such attacks can be viewed on a national scale.

About 18 ISPs in Australia have adopted the new iCode.

Related article: Australian Blogger Uses Spam To Boost Blog

» SPAMfighter News - 12/14/2010