Microsoft has taken down the Necurs botnet, which infected over nine million computers and was one of the largest botnets in the world. Necurs was responsible for a number of scams, including identity theft and sending fake pharmaceutical emails .In general, cybercriminals use botnets to remotely control internet- and install malware on them, which can be used to send spam, collect information about a user's computer activity, or delete information without warning.
Tom Burt, Microsoft's vice president of security and customer trust, said in a blog that the Necurs takedown was the result of eight years of planning and coordination with partners from 35 countries. Specifically, he said in the post that the measures to be taken will ensure that the hackers behind this network are no longer able to use key elements of the infrastructure to carry out cyberattacks.
But what are botnets?
Botnets are networks of devices that are connected to the internet and perform automated tasks. Cybercriminals use these networks to send malware, which allows them to remotely access a computer. Through the malware, cybercriminals can extract data and information from a computer without the owner’s knowledge, and they can also use the infected devices to send more malware. The device that is infected and used to send more malware is called a zombie.
What was Necurs and how did it work?
Necurs was one of the largest malware networks in the world. It first appeared in 2012 and is estimated to have had a network of over nine million zombie computers. To grow this network, Necurs used a domainalgorithm that generated random domain names, and the team behind it used websites to send instructions to infected computers.
How did Microsoft manage to destroy the Necurs botnet?
Microsoft and its partners were able to "break" the algorithm and predict which domain names would be used in the future to block them.
How do I know if my device is infected with malware?
There are some signs that a device may be infected with malware. One early sign is that programs start running more slowly or take longer to open. In addition, the computer freezes regularly and needs to be restarted. Another sign that raises suspicions of malware is that the computer's hard drive space fills up without warning. Another sign is that spam emails are sent to contacts from the user's account that has been attacked by malware.
In short, malware is a term that is widely used for any malicious software that infects a computer. The most common types are software that copies data, monitors the activity a user performs on their computer, or deletes information from a device. Finally, the hackers behind these types of attacks usually demand a ransom in the form of bitcoin from the user who receives the malware in order to refrain from taking the above actions.
