‘Botnets’ Hack Into OnlineCredit Card Files

FOSTER CITY, Calif. - (03/23/06) – Online security experts havediscovered two large ‘botnets,’ or Internet robots,they say are hacking into online shopping accounts and stealingcredit card numbers, account information and log-in passwords. Thebotnets were discovered by researchers at FaceTime Security Labshere based on an anonymous tip by one reformed hacker, and referredto authorities. Officials at FaceTime Security said the botnetswere planted by seeding Trojan horses via instant messagingnetworks. When recipients of the IM click on the embedded link thebotnets are secretly installed on the recipient’s computer.One botnet, called ‘Carder,’ is used to download dataoff of e-commerce shopping cart applications and can downloadcredit card information, including user names, passwords andPINs.