Major Spam Hub Shut Down

by Will Safer on November 12, 2008 at 11:41 AM

A California Web hosting company that was a major source of spam (as well as a host of child porn, and seller of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and designer goods) has been effectively shut down -- but only after numerous security firms and the Washington Post reported on its activities. The slow process has some Internet security folks claiming that U.S. Internet security laws and law-enforcement agencies are either moving too slow or basically toothless.

The majority of the world's spam, as junk email is known, originated or was controlled by servers at Web hosting firm McColo Corp., based in a sleek, modern ~~30-story~~ office tower in San Jose. After the two companies that provided McColo with its Internet capacity were shown just how much criminal activity was pumping through the servers, the companies took quick action to shut down McColo's operation.

One of McColo's activities was controlling botnets, essentially computer programs that illegally use remote computers like yours, ours, and everyone else's to send out spam. One of the botnets controlled by McColo sent out up to half a billion spam messages a day with the common messages for penis enlargement pills or other designer drugs. According to Marshal, a security company in the United Kingdom, the botnet activity was responsible for almost 75-percent of the world's junk mail.

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But some in the Internet security business say McColo has been a known spam offender for a long time -- and they don't know why it has taken so long for action. A Web server that was remotely operated by a computer at McColo was responsible for stealing more than half a million bank, debit and credit card numbers during the last two-and-a-half years. (See more about a similar item here.)

"There is damning evidence that this activity has been going on there for way too long, and plenty of people in the security community have gone out of their way to raise awareness about this network, but nobody (in law enforcement) seems to care," said Paul Ferguson, a threat researcher with computer security firm Trend Micro. [From: The Washington Post]

Tags: botnets, malware, spam

Comments

lirookiesNov 13th 2008 9:06AM

Neutral

It's about time!! Now it's time to shut down those asses who send out those "rich death/no next of kin/split $$" spam mails.

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UncleBigBadNov 24th 2008 1:06AM

Neutral

this sure is good news, but I never understood why it's so difficult to track spammers in the first place since everything you do online can be traced. Shouldn't be that hard to track whomever sends out the other 25 per cent. And regarding snail mail: now that the cost of postage is so high I get MUCH less snail junk mail.

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LaunNov 13th 2008 10:36AM

Neutral

I am glad there's alot less span to worry about. I don't like liars, spam, scam artists, thieves, tormentors, murderers, "chemical pranksters",bullies that try to push the rest of society around. Get to work and quit trying to steal from the hard workers in this country, we have enough taken from us by Gov.taxes.
Don't worry there is a place for you all someday.

(No crying boy here)GROWLING BEAR

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JimNov 13th 2008 11:05AM

Neutral

Here's an Idea for AOL, why not run a poll about how many people, really trust the Internet anymore?? How many people, even respond, to Internet offers, anymore.
I don't, can't trust anyone, anymore, and surely not the Internet.

I delete nearly all e-mails now, can't trust them. Unless I recognise the name of the sender, wham !, delete !

Just because they are a legal company, doesn't mean much either.

Even CEO's, are crooks, let alone the people working under them.

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garyNov 13th 2008 12:03PM

Neutral

For some reason I missed the part about jail time and huge fines and confiscated computer equipment.

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StevenNov 13th 2008 12:54PM

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I'm still getting spam, including one asking me to help retrieve $10 million from a Nigerian oilman's bank account.

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PattiNov 16th 2008 10:26PM

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This is an honest question, Eventide (or anyone else who would know the answer), from someone who isn't very computer savvy...

How did you lose an Apple notebook to them? I've always heard tell that Apple computers didn't get viruses, etc. In fact, my husband and I were talking about it yesterday when he asked me if I wanted to get an Apple laptop instead of an HP or Dell.

TIA for your answer.

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KimberNov 14th 2008 11:15AM

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YES these ppl should B named ESPECIALLY since they were found to also be a place pushing & peddling CHILD PORN!!! Stop protecting these a**holes, the more U do, the more ppl will just start up another place in a few days, MAKE THEM TRUELY AFRAID by EXPOSING them!! I am going now to empty out my SPAM folder & I look forward to being able to SEE a diff... 1307, 1307 emails in my spam folder alone on yahoo, this is what has accumulated over the past week, & mind U that doesn't include the ones that did still make it to my INBOX!!! And, the tripped out part is how dumb THEY THINK ppl are, well UHMMM if I see a dayummm e-mail w/a date of 01/01/2038 yea like Im really gonna open it up!!

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andrewNov 16th 2008 5:24PM

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These people do it because of all the incompetent computer owners online downloading every attachment running no firewalls,no anti-virus,Law enforcement has more of task preventing attacks on our monetary system or defense complex than to worry about somebody sending spam for penis enlargement. And in recent news spam convictions are being overturned all over the place.

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