Security Basics mailing list archives
Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years
From: krymson () gmail com
Date: 10 Mar 2009 14:28:57 -0000
I don't think anyone will argue that botnet crimes are victimless. I don't think anyone will argue that identity theft or botnet crimes *may* increase your taxes. I don't think anyone will argue that identity theft or botnet crimes *may* annoy you or make you worry about your family's identities and credit. But it seems irresponsible, even downright insulting, to compare a botnet operator to a perpetrator of a very potentially violent crime. Or the victims of such. Which would you rather be the victim of, an in-person mugging or a cyberthief who planted a trojan in your computer and snarfed your bank account info? If you've been a victim of a physical robbery, would you choose it again? If you argue that you'll only lose x amount one way and x*10 the other way, you have some weird values. Which one impacts society more? I consider that arguable, but only if you properly weight it. For instance, 1 violent robbery may equal 100 cyber robberies? Don't even attack those numbers, it's just an example to illustrate the point... Sure, it might not be utilitarian to compare $100, a wallet, and possibly a beating/psychological pain (or potential escalation) to the loss of $1m over 100,000 people, but that's really the point, right? It's not just about dollars or your personal annoyance that your taxes may go up or your identity may be at risk... <- snip -> Apparently you're looking at a small picture of the potential damage that can occur from cybercrime kiddiot botnet herders. While you see it as money that will likely get reimbursed, I see it as possibly higher taxes since more botnet idiots will mean we'd need more botnet idiot hunters (LEO's) to track them. That means higher taxes in the places where there is no presence. What? Is your ISP raising the cost of your connectivity? Could be to support the influx of traffic. What? Were you annoyed that the transaction you were making timed out, you never got the confirmation, yet you were billed for it? No sweat, you can go through those motions to have your money reimbursed as well. What? You just found your classmate was once molested and abused - and oh my that botnet idiot herder was helping some organized crime gang out by shutting down sites for them a-la moronic pings of death-and the likes? While you may think it's a victimless crime it is not. Though monies may be reimbursed, there is a cost associated with the reimbursements. Might come via way of banks lowering the amount of interest you WOULD have gotten with a savings account, or perhaps a service charge that wasn't there before. There is no such thing as fre money. So while an armed robbery usually affects ONE person, or may even a few in the community who might be scared to use ATM's, the other ATM's in other areas will be fine. However, when Citibank.com goes completely down because of moron kiddiots, if you have an account at Citibank somewhere down the line you may be affected by it. Even if you don't have an account at Citibank, guess who'll be forking out higher taxes on the next installation of some antibotnet cybercrime task force? You will. Guess who'll be really annoyed when that idiot botnet herder allows cybercriminal gangs to use his botnet for other things such as fishing, etc., guess what happens when that botnet compromises yours and millions of others' information. It is not a "victimless" crime and many need to stop thinking about it as such. The last thing I worry about when seeing the news and hearing about an armed robbery is my immediate safety or finance whereas when I get a whiff of botnet related news I stay wondering whether or not my or my family's data is at risk. Will be paying higher taxes this year. There is more to this issue of botnet idiots than calling someone "a nice kid who made a mistake". Some of these guys deserve a harsher sentence with examples set on them. He's lucky he got four years he deserved more. =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ J. Oquendo
Current thread:
- Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Ali, Saqib (Mar 05)
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Jon Kibler (Mar 06)
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Jason (Mar 09)
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years J. Oquendo (Mar 09)
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Jason (Mar 10)
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Stephen Mullins (Mar 16)
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Jason (Mar 09)
- RE: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Charis (Mar 09)
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Stephen Mullins (Mar 09)
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years Jon Kibler (Mar 06)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Botnet Hacker Gets Four Years krymson (Mar 10)