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Spam Botmaster Going To Jail
David Utter
Staff Writer
2006-05-09
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A federal judge in Los Angeles sentenced Jeanson James Ancheta of the "Botmaster Underground" to 57 months in prison for his malicious computer hacking.
 | | Spam Botmaster Going To Jail |  |
Ancheta's claim to infamy involved hijacking 400,000 computers and using them to send out millions of spam messages. He sold access to the planted botnet to others who placed various adware programs on the compromised machines.
The US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles noted the jail sentence handed down represents the longest one ever rendered for spreading computer viruses. It's also the first time someone had been prosecuted for profiting for doing so.
From the statement: Ancheta acknowledged specifically discussing with the purchasers the nature and extent of the DDOS attacks or proxy spamming they were interested in conducting. Ancheta suggested the number of bots or proxies they would need to accomplish the specified acts, tested the botnets with them to ensure that the DDOS attacks or proxy spamming were successfully carried out, and advised them on how to properly maintain, update and strengthen their purchased armies.
Ancheta pleaded guilty in January 2006. U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner told Ancheta at the sentencing, "Your worst enemy is your own intellectual arrogance that somehow the world cannot touch you on this."
His botnet also affected government machines. After his prison term, Ancheta will have to pay $15,000 restitution to the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake and the Defense Information Systems Agency.
He will be on supervised release for three years with limited access to computers and the Internet as he works on repaying those agencies. Ancheta also had to forfeit his gains - $60,000 in cash, a BMW, and various computer equipment - to the government.
Klausner called Ancheta's crimes "extensive, serious and sophisticated."
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Tag: James Ancheta
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About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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