7. Microsoft Botnet Takedowns
Leveraging the RICO Act for the first time, last March Microsoft with the help of U.S. marshals carrying a federal warrant took down a number of malware-spreading botnets that were allegedly responsible for the theft of more than $100 million from financial institutions and other businesses. Roughly 13 million computers and 800 domains were involved in the criminal enterprise, which was tied to command-and-control servers in Lombard, Ill., and Scranton, Pa. The illegal botnets were held responsible for spreading the Zeus family of malware that included the SpyEye and Ice-IX variants. Similar operations were conducted later in the year.
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