Web-hoster raided by marshals

[The Straight Story]

Columbus Web-hoster raided by marshals
Firm's computers had role in spam 'botnet,' Microsoft suit says

A Columbus company was one of nine Web-hosting firms across the country raided by U.S. marshals this week as part of a Microsoft lawsuit aimed at eliminating sources of malware and e-mail scams.

The local target was a customer of Ecommerce Inc., located on the Far West Side.

Law-enforcement agents, accompanied by members of Microsoft's year-old digital-crimes unit, on Wednesday seized computer equipment that they said was used to command about a million infected personal computers.

Ecommerce, named in a Microsoft lawsuit that was unsealed late Thursday, was raided along with companies in Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City.

In a posting on Microsoft's law and policy blog, Microsoft senior attorney Richard Boscovich said the computers were capable of sending out billions of spam e-mails a day, "including fake Microsoft lottery scams and offers for fake and potentially dangerous prescription drugs."

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/03/19/columbus-web-hoster-raided-by-marshals.html?sid=101

[Angry Dragon]

1. Seems the line between law-enforcement and corporate

interests is a little blurred


'Law-enforcement agents, accompanied by members of Microsoft's year-old digital-crimes unit'

[htuttle]

2. I wonder if they wear little Microsoft logo lapel pins?

[obxhead]

4. Yeah, I caught that as well.

Had no idea it existed.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/dcu/

The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit is a worldwide team of lawyers, investigators, technical analysts and other specialists whose mission is to make the Internet safer and more secure through strong enforcement, global partnerships, policy and technology solutions that help:
• Promote a secure Internet
• Defend against fraud and other threats to online safety
• Protect children from technology-facilitated crimes
• Champion a healthy Internet marketplace for advertisers and businesses


Why do I have a feeling the 4th thing listed is their prime concern?

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Billions of spam a day.

Spam is expensive and exasperating. I'm glad to see a major source taken down.

[east texas lib]

5. Ecommerce should be held liable for the costs associated with debugging the infected PC's...

Bastids!

[dkofos]

6. Must be cheaper than fixing their bug ridden code.