4 Comments

How to Stop Botnets, Malware

Jun 4, 2007
by

Just finished reading a couple stories from Wired.com, one was called Desperate Botnet Battlers Call for an Internet Driver’s License that summed up the Anti-Phishing Working Group’s Counter e-Crime Operations Summit and some of the things they were talking about to stop online fraud problem, such as building government-funded free clinics for infected computers around the United States, some said that the Government needs to get involved more, widespread use of ingress filtering, which would prevent spoofing of ip addresses, some suggested users should have a license to get online and maintain botnet insurance, one suggested system security scores that would be broadcast with each packet so websites could decide on your level of access, etc. The second article, Stiffer Cyber Laws to Crack Down on Botnets, Spyware touched on two new bills that would make it easier for federal prosecutors to charge cyber criminals.

I have said it before and I will say it again, the best way to get rid of malware, botnets, and computer fraud is to cut out the money that is flowing into their coffers. How do you do that? Fine merchants and networks who advertise or allow their products to be advertised in malware, spam, etc. If you start making businesses pay, and pay dearly, for advertising and/or allowing advertising in malware and spam, the problem will go away very quickly because there will be no profit in it. Now, I realize that the botnets will still be there and the machines will have to be cleaned or reloaded, but if you take away the financial gain, then the only ones that will be created are from the type of virus writers we had before, someone looking to disrupt everything or make a name for themselves.

Another way would be for users to boycott merchants who advertise or allow advertising through malware and spam, but that would be a LOT harder to do. I’m open to suggestions, but cutting off the money flow seems like the best and easiest solution to me.

About Jimmy Daniels

A reluctant blogger, Windows XP guy, Nascar fan and long time affiliate marketer, Jimmy Daniels has been favoring his kids over everything else, as he should be.
You can find Jimmy on Twitter: @jdaniels.

Filed under: Adware, Spyware, Greynets, & Internet Fraud + Civic Responsibility + Legal Issues
  • http://www.affiliatefairplay.com Kellie

    "the best way to get rid of malware, botnets, and computer fraud is to cut out the money that is flowing into their coffers."

    Amen! It's business for them and they do it because they are making $$$.

  • http://www.sophos.com/products/malware-protection/ Krevco

    I have to completely disagree with the sentiment of the above commenter. Coffers? These malware programs are being traded on the black market and implemented by people who do not even need advanced coding knowledge. You make it seem as if there are a few rich investors facilitating the whole operation. This is not like taking down drug kingpins, its more akin to trying to catch all the dealers, which as we know, is a near impossible task to achieve.

  • Anonymous

    useful articl and thanks for sharing this….

  • Anonymous

    Government has to invest more to stop online fraud. And it’s quite difficult to stop it.