Computer crime: the most significant case

Date: July 29, 2005
Source: Computer Crime Research Center
By: CCRC staff

... Scob waited for Web surfers to connect, then planted software in their hard disks that spied on their typing and relayed thousands of passwords and credit-card numbers to a server in Russia, police say. "These guys have set a new standard for sophistication among criminal hackers," says A. James Melnick, 51, director of threat intelligence at iDEFENSE, a Reston (Va.) cybersecurity firm. The HangUp crew isn't even covering its tracks. Each of the three bugs contained a telltale signature: "Coded by HangUp Team." With HangUp operating so publicly, it's not clear why its members have been so hard to catch. Russian authorities say they have been hampered by the red tape of securing warrants, coordinating with U.S. and British police, and translating documents.

It's one more sign that the battle for cyberspace has changed forever. Criminals are swarming the Web, and their attacks come from the most remote corners of the globe. There are no easy answers. But one thing is clear: The old practice of erecting defenses out of software isn't enough. "That's a Band-Aid," says Larkin. "If you don't try to take these guys down, they'll come back. You have to find a way to get to the live bodies and take them out at their roots. If you don't, you aren't solving the problem."

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2005-08-01 23:42:33 - Very strange that the first part of this... Larry

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