Botnets are networks of compromised computers (infected computers) that are controlled by hackers known as “bot-herders.” In the last year or so they’ve become a serious problem on the internet. There are still issues today that have a direct affect on users all over the world, this includes major corporations as well. Hackers control these botnets which are often used to conduct various attacks ranging from denial of service attacks on websites, to spamming, click fraud, and distribution of new forms of malicious software.

TechJaws has published more than forty articles about fake antivirus and rogue software and you can make an assumption that some of these programs come from these botnets. It’s a revenue machine that targets vulnerable users in thinking their system is infected, and in order to remove the infection/s they need to purchase the products license.

How to remove Waledac

A map of Waledac infections around the world in a recent 24 hour period.

Waledac Facts: One of the 10 largest botnets in the US and a major distributor of spam globally, Waledac is estimated to have infected hundreds of thousands of computers around the world and, prior to this action, was believed to have the capacity to send over 1.5 billion spam emails per day.  In a recent analysis, Microsoft found that between December 3-21, 2009, approximately 651 million spam emails attributable to Waledac were directed to Hotmail accounts alone, including offers and scams related to online pharmacies, imitation goods, jobs, penny stocks and more.

I give Microsoft credit as the founding member of the Botnet Task Force, a public-private partnership to join industry and government in the fight against bots. A post on the Microsoft Blog: “We are getting even more creative and aggressive in the fight against botnets and all forms of cybercrime. That’s why I’m proud to announce that through legal action and technical cooperation with industry partners, we have executed a major botnet take-down of Waledac, a large and well-known “spambot.”

People running Windows machines also should visit the Microsoft Security Web site, where they can find Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool, which removes Waledac.

Malicious Software Removal Tool: http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.aspx

TechJaws 1000th post since 05/09/2008.