Malware Authors Offer Botnets Bonuses
By Christopher Nickson
March 20, 2008
Have your own botnet? You could make plenty of cash by arranging to install spyware on those computers.
The authors of spyware are offering cash to botnet operators who help install their spyware on peoples’ computers, Vnunet reports.
Security company MessageLabs has issued a report that states the practice known as an “install” has become common, with a standardised price list.
"The criminals have moved in a riskier direction to spyware which is illegal to download and designed to evade antivirus detection. The income that can be earned grows based on higher numbers of installs, which implies that the spyware is to be used with botnets and varies based on the geographical location of installation."
Installing spyware on 1,000 unsuspecting users machines can earn a botnet owner $50 if the computers are in the US, $60 for UK users and a whopping $100 for Australian users.
Initially code would be added to a site, generally one that’s been hacked, botnet-hosted or a phishing page. Computers subverted by the botnet are then instructed to visit the page, download and execute the code on it. In a very businesslike manner, after the installation of the spyware, the compromised computer registers with both seller and affiliate and payment in made.