Microsoft Responds to Critics Over Botnet Bruhaha
Summary: Microsoft's Operation B71, a legal action against dozens of ZeuS botnets filed under a RICO statute, drew criticism from researchers and Dutch security firm Fox IT, whose principal security expert Michael Sandee called the action "irresponsible" and said it compromised international investigations and broke NDAs. Microsoft attorney Richard Boscovich defended the operation as an ex-parte temporary restraining order requiring secrecy, said Microsoft was told the data was the partners' own or freely shared, and cited prior takedowns of Waledac, Rustock and Kelihos as evidence the disruptive approach reduces spam.
Why it matters: The dispute turns on who decides when researcher-held data on criminal actors gets acted upon: Fox IT says Microsoft's publication damaged public-private sharing relationships, while Microsoft says an ex-parte court standard required near-total secrecy, leaving security leaders to weigh cooperation against the risk that a partner acts on their data without notice.
Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗
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