Hackers’ hospital bot army
p2p news / p2pnet: Some 50,000 hospital computers across the US were turned into a Zombie bot army controlled by 20-year-old California hacker Christopher Maxwell, says a federal indictment.
Maxwell, from Vacaville, and two unidentified juveniles, pulled in some $100,000 in the process, court documents state, says the Seattle Times.
Maxwell, who isn’t in custody, will make his first appearance in US District Court in Seattle on February 23 while the juveniles are being charged in other undisclosed jurisdictions, says the story.
He had affiliate relationships with several mainstream adware companies and then, "simply created a program instructing his infected computers, or ‘bots,’ to download the adware," says the ", going on:
"The bots then ‘phoned home’ to the adware company, which credits the hacker’s account, unaware that he hasn’t gotten the computer owner’s permission.
"Since 2004, Maxwell earned more on botnets than he did at his Wal-Mart job, according to court papers."
He’s been charged with one count of conspiracy to intentionally damage a protected computer and with one count of intentional computer damage that interferes with medical treatment, says the story, adding:
"The crimes carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution."
Also See:
Seattle Times – 3 accused of inducing ill effects on computers at local hospital, February 1, 2006
February 13th, 2006 at 1:33 am
Obviously, this guy had a bright mind. It would have been better utilized by American industry innovating and producing products for sale here at home. Oops, I forgot, the Fortune 500 companies prefer to use slave labor from abroad. Of course, the P.S.A. government also prefers the same thing. Slavery over the American people. I just wonder why more displaced workers do not rataliate or use their talents to defend themselves and make a living the way they see fit instead of depending on those who will sell them out at the first sign of an extra dollar.
February 13th, 2006 at 4:42 am
Vacaville, California huh… That’s the next town over from where I live. Didn’t think that there was people like this that close by. But, then again, we are sitting right between Sacramento and San Francisco, and alot of people commute, so I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.
Screwing with a hospital’s computer systems is not a good thing. What if someone died because of it? He would probably be going up on murder charges, and rightly so.
February 13th, 2006 at 8:51 am
It more worring that he had time to operate computer. It dosn’t matter as in USA there are NO data protection laws like in the EU. It would been funny if there where some private medical info on our freinds in RIAA/MPAA!
If there where data protection laws in USA then hospital would also be in the dock!
Any why ow why was computer left in Admin mode?
February 13th, 2006 at 8:09 pm
“The bots then ‘phoned home’ to the adware company, which credits the hacker’s account, unaware that he hasn’t gotten the computer owner’s permission.”
Yeah right, if I’m reading this right the adware company did not know that their software was installed without permission. All I can say is B.S.