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RCMP Detains So-Called Global Hacker

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested Joseph Mercier a 24-year-old IT Security Supervisor from Laval (Quebec, Canada) lately being charged with organizing a worldwide computer hacking operation, published montreal.ctv.ca dated July 19, 2011.

Police reportedly condemned Mercier for developing a PC-virus, which he used to gain remote control, as well as access to PCs that other servers hosted. Specifically, the charge formally imposed against him in court at Laval on July 19, 2011 was illegal utilization of PCs.

Basically, when Mercier used the virus to infect various PCs, the machines converted into bots and eventually joined into a botnet, RCMP explained.

Essentially, the botnet got spotted in Quebec; however according to 'RCMP,' its investigators further discovered that it extended to servers within the US, France, Russia and the UAE.

Moreover as per RCMP, it found the PC-virus as well on the PCs of the firm that employed Mercier as a computer security specialist, and of the boards of 2 schools inside Monteregie (Quebec).

Evidently, Mercier hacked into the PCs that both businesses and citizens owned and thus managed at seizing the PC-operators' keystrokes as well as accessing their files from the systems for theft of user credentials. What's more, he was able to upload infected folders as also perform bulk spamming for contaminating the end-users' listed friends.

Additionally, Police state that Mercier also managed to view and capture images that the end-users' webcams shot.

Meanwhile, it was during December 2010 that RCMP started to investigate the incident while co-operating with police departments of Quebec and Longueuil for carrying out searches at Mercier's home, his office and at a victimized person's home.

Further, though RCMP has already uncovered a few clues, the investigation on Mercier is still on for finding his probable accomplices along with more potential victims.

Eventually, remarking about different problems related to the incident following Mercier's detention, Spokesman Cpl. Charles Vallee for RCMP stated that computer-users should load anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date. The practice though mightn't be fully dependable with all PC-viruses, yet it was good to adopt it, he added. Vancouversun.com published this on July 19, 2011.

Related article: RCMP Alert Public against PayPal Scam

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