In an effort to stem the tide of cyber criminals, the FBI is conducting another investigation which it claims is netting the arrest of suspects throughout the world. In it’s latest investigation, a teenager from New Zealand was nabbed in which the suspect had control of millions of computers worldwide. Known as bots, these sinister devices are able to control computers, steal identity information and wreck havoc on peoples lives.

In their press release the FBI states:

Today, we’re announcing part two of this operation, with more results: 

• Three new indictments, including two this past month. In one case, we uncovered a denial of service attack on a major university in the Philadelphia area and then knocked out much of the botnet by disrupting its ability to talk to other computers.
• Two previously charged criminals who pled guilty, including a California man who is a well known member of the botnet underground.
• The sentencing of three others, including a pair of men who launched a major phishing scheme targeting a Midwest bank that led to millions of dollars in losses.

Our investigations spanned the country, including our field offices in Cincinnati, Detroit, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Sacramento, and Washington, D.C., which worked closely with a great many partners, including the Secret Service and Immigrations Customs Enforcement.

And these cases spanned the globe, involving information sharing and coordination with international colleagues like the New Zealand police. This week, authorities there conducted a search of the residence of the supposed ringleader of an elite global botnet coding group who goes by the cyber name of “AKILL.”

 It is great to see that the FBI and other law enforcement agencies are working together to stem the tide of these bots and making arrests of those who employ their use.

Full story here.

Tags: fbi, bots, arrests, country, world, new zealand, teenager, investigation, computer,