Microsoft closes 277 WALEDAC Zombie Network related domain name controversy

Intermediary transaction SEO diagnosis Taobao guest Cloud host technology Hall

The February 28 news, according to foreign media reports, the computer security experts to effectively shut down a day to send 1.5 billion of spam information "Zombie Network" practice, the evaluation of different computers.

Microsoft successfully lobbied the U.S. Department of Justice to issue court orders to stop 277 of WALEDAC botnet-related domains from operating.

Botnets often send spam by hijacking PCs under Windows operating systems.

Richard Boscovich, director of Microsoft's Digital crime Unit, said: "We want to protect the Internet by taking a pre-emptive approach to botnets." We will do our best to protect the safety of our customers and the Microsoft brand. We hope that this will be supported by all and promote a similar approach to the effective boycott of botnets. ”

Microsoft claims that WALEDAC botnets are notoriously destructive. During a 18-day period in December, the botnet sent 650 million spam emails to Hotmail users, including online pharmacies, counterfeit branded goods, job information, and more. Boschwick said: "This is a problem in the world, in the treatment of this problem, Microsoft has been a great success." ”

At a time when Microsoft is cheering for its success, some computer security experts have questioned that WALEDAC botnets are not a worldwide problem. But some computer experts support Microsoft's actions.

"Microsoft has taken bold and aggressive action on botnets, and it will be interesting to look at the development of the event," Sandra Thoms Sandra Toms Lapedis, general manager of the Conference on Electronic Data Security (RSA conference) said. ”

Microsoft has said it has adopted "a strategy with a trial and a legal nature" to shut down the Waledac botnet.

U.S. courts have secretly agreed to Microsoft's shutdown of 277 domain names associated with WALEDAC botnets after hearing Microsoft's unilateral claims. This is very rare in civil cases (civil cases are usually summoned to the parties and the verdict is held after a hearing). Boschwick claims that the only way to make the code-named "B49 Action" successfully hit the Waledac botnet. Boschwick said: "If the WALEDAC botnet behind the organization that we want to take action to close their domain name, the organization behind the transfer of domain names continue to endanger the Internet." We have persuaded US courts that Microsoft's clients and other companies worldwide are suffering irreparable damage from the Waledac botnet. And if the public closes, then the Waledac botnet's ' behind patriarch ' is most likely to destroy existing evidence. Microsoft's approach is the only way to deal with the 21st century Internet problem. ”

Microsoft said the move "quickly and effectively cut off thousands of links to the Waledac botnet." But some computer experts disagree with Microsoft's claim.

Ami Schulmann Amichai Shulman, chief technology officer at Imperva, a security software firm, said: "Microsoft's approach has not completely eliminated the problem of botnets, but only eased the problem of botnets." In the short term, the rest of the botnet will fill the void of the Waledac botnet, and the WALEDAC behind the botnet will restart their operations. ”

Jose Nazario, a security expert at Arbor Network, a network security firm, claims that Microsoft's 277 domain names are only part of the current botnet. There are still a lot of zombie networks in the Internet today.

Other computer security experts claim that the WALEDAC botnet is not much of a spam-producing botnet, and that Microsoft has done little to shut down WALEDAC zombie domain names across the Internet.

Richard Cox, Chief information officer of Spamhaus, which provides anti-spam services, said: "We did not find out how much the impact of Microsoft's shutting down the Waledac botnet domain on the total amount of junk information." The production of WALEDAC botnets only accounts for about 1% of the total amount of spam information in the Internet. ”

Microsoft says that although Microsoft has effectively shut down the WALEDAC botnet, thousands of PCs are now infected with a malicious virus. Microsoft advises Windows users to use antivirus software and update security patches in a timely fashion.

According to Symantec (Symantec), 80% of the current Internet spam is from botnets.