Security Researchers Uncover 70GB of Financial Data Stolen by Botnet

[security curmudgeon <jericho () attrition org>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Security-Researchers-Uncover-70-GB-of-Financial-Data-Stolen-by-Botnet-501015/

By Brian Prince
eWEEK.com
2009-05-04

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, say they
seized control of the Torpig botnet for 10 days earlier in 2009 and
uncovered 70GB worth of financial data, from credit card numbers to bank
account credentials. Torpig, also known as Mebroot and Sinowal, has been
called the stealthiest rootkit in the wild by security vendor Prevx.

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have
published a paper saying they turned up a treasure trove of stolen data
after seizing control of a notorious botnet.

The team of researchers hijacked the Torpig botnet, (PDF) which they
linked to the theft of some 10,000 bank accounts and credit card numbers
during a 10-day period. According to the researchers, the compromised
bots were used by cyber-thieves to steal as much as 70GB of data worth
millions during that time frame.

Torpig, also known as Sinowal and Mebroot, has been dubbed by security
vendor Prevx the "stealthiest rootkit in the wild today." Just recently,
the group behind Torpig's proliferation updated the malware to make it
even harder to detect.

[...]

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