Microsoft and the FBI attack a worldwide network of 'cybercrime'

Microsoft and the FBI supported by authorities in over 80 countries, launched a major attack on one of the largest networks of cybercrime, which is believed to have stolen more than 500 million dollars (381 million euros) from bank accounts in the past 18 months. Microsoft says its Digital Crimes Unit turned off at least 1,000 of an estimated 1,400 malicious computer networks known as 'botnets Citadel'. Citadel infected five million personal computers in the world and, according to Microsoft, was used to steal from dozens of financial institutions. These organizations include American Express, Bank of America, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, eBay PayPal, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Royal Bank of Canada and Wells Fargo. Although the criminals are still at large and the authorities do not know the identities of the leaders, international coordination to disable dealt a significant blow to their cyber capabilities. "The bad guys will feel the blow to the stomach," said Richard Domingues Boscovich , deputy general counsel Digital Crimes Unit at Microsoft. The botnets are armies of infected PCs, or 'bots', running software that requires registration and obey servers operated by the hackers. The botnets are used to commit financial crimes, send 'spam', deliver viruses to attack computer networks. Citadel is one of the largest botnets currently operating. Microsoft says its creator software versions joined the 'pirates' of the Windows operating system and used to control computers in the United States, Western Europe, Hong Kong, India and Australia. Reuters The FBI says it is working closely with Europol and other foreign authorities to try to capture the criminals, of which his identity is unknown.Has obtained search warrants as part of what it calls a criminal investigation quite advanced. "We are stepping up the ante on our level of commitment to go after the creators and distributors of the 'botnet'," he says in an interview FBI Assistant Executive Director Richard McFeely. "This is a concerted effort with our foreign partners to assist us to identify, locate and, if we can, to bring the creators and distributors of the botnet to criminal prosecution," he adds. Microsoft has filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, North Carolina, against the 'pirates' computer and obtained an order to terminate the botnets.