678,000 Windows PCs have been infected as a result of the Gameover ZeuS bank-theft botnet. It has been attributed to cybercrime gangs in Eastern Europe and this particular botnet is thought to have complex defensive features which will make it very difficult for the authorities to completely defeat it.
The term “cyberwarfare” refers to politically motivated hacking in order to conduct espionage and sabotage. It is well established that the use of computers to manipulate markets, organisations and governments has been occurring now for decades and evidence of cyberwarfare is apparent from as early as the 1970s in the form of “worm” attacks which have taken the form of extremely invasive viruses over time.
Paul McLoughlin has been handed a suspended 12 month sentence under computer misuse legislation, as the result of what investigators say was an attempt to boost gamer status. The software, called “Istealer”, was injected into numerous programs, including the game Prototype, so that McLoughlin could then play those game without being charged.
Joshua Schichtel of Phoenix, Arizona has been jailed for 30 months for selling access to thousands of hijacked home computers.
Schichtel pleaded guilty to attempting to cause damage to multiple computers without authorisation, through the use of botnets. Millions of computers unwittingly become part of a botnet, which are networks of machines that have been infected with a malicious computer programme. This programme allows unauthorised users to then control the infected computers remotely.
As discussed in the previous blog, “The Court’s Nonsensical Approach to Unauthorised Access in DPP v Bignell” the early decision of the Court in relation to unauthorised access suggested that the actions of a person authorised to access parts of a computer system, but who then accessed other parts without permission, would not be covered by the Computer Misuse Act 1990 (‘the Act’).
The Computer Misuse Act 1990 (‘the Act’) introduced three new offences into UK law, namely, unauthorised access to computer material; unauthorised access to computer material with intent to commit, or facilitate the commission of, a further offence; and unauthorised modification of computer material.
A Brighton woman who received death threats and other online abuse on Facebook has won a landmark High Court order forcing the social network to disclose the identities of anonymous internet trolls who targeted her. In the same week Ken Clarke announced government proposals to force internet service providers (ISPs) as part of the Defamation Bill to help identify online abusers without having to go down the litigation route.
