The FBI in conjuction with Microsoft has been able to finally break up the Citadel, a pervasive and persistent cybertheft network that has already caused half a billion dollars in losses from bank accounts.
They are the outfit responsible for trojan viruses, such as the Zeus, that remotely access the user's bank account and then extract all the monies from it.
The keylogging program has already infested 5 million machines and all the pertinent data they contain.
The operation, which was coordinated in 80 countries, has helped disrupt the network.
The banks affected were American Express, BofA, Paypal, HSBC, Royal bank of Canada and Wells Fargo.
What has allowed Citadel to grow to its dangerous dimension is the fact that they were able to bundle malicious code with pirated versions of Windows software.
Although the servers used by Citadel have been blocked and seized, the controller of the group is still unknown.
Microsoft has initiated a John Doe lawsuit, against anonymous parties, although they are believed to be headquartered in Eastern Europe or Russia.
The lieutenants of the operations are also being sought with the aid of Interpol.
The Citadel viruses also blocked safety and security updates from Microsoft, so that the computers could not detach themselves from the botnet. Microsoft is addressing the problem so that the computers its client use can be restored.
Source : bbcuk 6.6.13
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