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Finjan Finds Infected PCs Selling For Half A Cent
Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
2009-06-18
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Most people know that powerful computer criminals don't all have setups similar to those of James Bond villains; a lot of damage can be done with just a little bit of outdated equipment. But a new report from Finjan drives home how very accessible botnets have become.
 | | Finjan Finds Infected PCs Selling For Half A Cent |  |
People who live in certain Asian countries are able to buy batches of 1,000 infected PCs for just $5, according to Finjan. This means just about anyone who can touch a computer, whether it be at a friend's apartment or an Internet cafe, can afford "in."
The highest price Finjan found elsewhere was in Australia, where the same number of infected PCs go for $100. A middle-class eight-year-old might be able to handle that with his Christmas money.
This is all possible due to the existence of the Golden Cash network. A Finjan statement explains, "The trading platform utilizes all necessary components (buyer side, seller side, attack toolkit, and distribution via 'partners')." And if that sounds pretty sophisticated, the statement does continue, "This advanced trading platform marks a new milestone in the cybercrime evolution."
Yuval Ben-Itzhak, CTO of Finjan, also added, "Looking at the list of compromised PCs we found, it is clear that no individual, corporate or governmental PC is safe."
Unfortunately, such trading platforms are probably here to stay. Cybercriminals can make as much as $400 in profit off of each batch of infected PCs, and so will be sure to keep at it for as long as possible.
Finjan just recommends using a Secure Web Gateway to help stop your computers from becoming infected in the first place. The full second issue of Finjan's Cybercrime Intelligence Report (pdf) is also available for free if you'd like additional information regarding the problem.
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews, InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
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