New Russian Botnet Tries To Kill Rivals 136
alphadogg writes "An upstart Trojan horse program has decided to take on its much-larger rival by stealing data and then removing the malicious program from infected computers. Security researchers say that the relatively unknown Spy Eye toolkit added this functionality just a few days ago in a bid to displace its larger rival, known as Zeus. The feature, called "Kill Zeus," apparently removes the Zeus software from the victim's PC, giving Spy Eye exclusive access to usernames and passwords. Zeus and Spy Eye are both Trojan-making toolkits, designed to give criminals an easy way to set up their own "botnet" networks of password-stealing programs. These programs emerged as a major problem in 2009, with the FBI estimating last October that they have caused $100 million in losses."
It's evolution in action. (Score:4, Informative)
They are competing for resources (which may or may not be scarce) and one can now prey on the other.
Either evolve a defence, or die out.
(Oblig tag)
That's evolution in a nutshell. Note that no one is claiming the programs spontaneously emerged into cyberspace. Evolution has nothing to say about the origin of life. Abiogenesis is not Evolution.
Oh, you kids these days, with your Intartubes (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Botnets fighting botnets... (Score:5, Informative)
The problem is ethics...both would concidered intruders even if one is of the White Hat variety. Unfortunately it seems impossible to find ethically against something unethical so instead we all just sit around and complain about it while the problem gets worse.
Re:Botnets fighting botnets... (Score:4, Informative)
Because it’s illegal.
People trying to do good generally won’t risk going to jail for it.
Re:Why is this news? (Score:3, Informative)