Attacking Criminal Networks On the Internet 109
Hugh Pickens writes "Computer Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University are developing techniques to analyze and disrupt black markets on the internet, where criminals sell viruses, stolen data, and attack services estimated to total more than $37 million for the seven-month period they studied. To stem the flow of stolen credit cards and identity data, researchers have proposed two technical approaches to reducing the number of successful market transactions. One approach to disrupting the network is a slander attack where an attacker eliminates the verified status of a buyer or seller through false defamation. Another approach undercuts the cyber-crooks' network by creating a deceptive sales environment. 'Just like you need to verify that individuals are honest on E-bay, online criminals need to verify that they are dealing with "honest" criminals,' says Jason Franklin, one of the researchers."
Re:The World's Largest Crime (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:e-crime (Score:5, Insightful)
I wonder if anyone is going to get killed over the rumors spread by this anti e-crime technique?
Correct me if I'm wrong... (Score:5, Insightful)
Slander is a "technical approach"? (Score:3, Insightful)
Difference between law enforcement and warfare (Score:2, Insightful)
The techniques referenced in the article are more in the style of warfare, where the objective isn't to arrest a lawbreaker, but defeat an enemy. Different rules apply. For instance, if an anonymous source gives you the key for Botnet A, you don't have to worry about gathering more evidence to be able to convict - just shut the sucker down, or poison it to turn on it's creators, etc.
The confusion between law enforcement and warfare is going to get worse and uglier as time goes on. And I'm not advocating using military thinking domestically on drug trafficking in the US - it doesn't work real well in foreign countries, and I think most drug laws themselves are misguided. But on botnets and international computer crimes? Oh yeah - it's definitely war.
Crime Syndicates (Score:4, Insightful)
http://www.gop.org/ [gop.org]
http://www.democrats.org/ [democrats.org]
of which the other two organizations you mention are wholly owned subsidiaries of these two, as is the other legislative and judicial branch are, along with most of the smaller regional syndicates.
Re:How about... (Score:4, Insightful)
"honest" for self preservation (Score:3, Insightful)
Most criminals are only honest within their peer group. Probably because their peer group would likely kill them if they were not honest.
The idea of an honest criminal only applies to victimless crimes such as drugs, prostitution, gambling, etc. (To people that insist that self crime is not victimless crimes: stop touching yourself)
Marines.com is obviously a mercenary gang (Score:3, Insightful)