Blackshades: Malware That Infected Half A Million Computers in 100 Countries

Blackshades: Malware That Infected Half A Million Computers in 100 Countries

More than half a million computers in over 100 nations were infected by malware that let cyber criminals hijack a computer and its webcam. Charges were announced against nearly 100 people across the globe for having used this malware for gaining unauthorized access into people's computer systems.

So far, 97 people suspected of using or spreading this malicious software known as BlackShades have been taken into custody in 16 countries, along with the owner of the software. An official of Eurojust, Koen Hermans is a Netherlands official who is part of the the EU's criminal investigation coordination unit. This is a staunch warning to those using malware to infect other people's systems.

BlackShades is a terrible cyber cime wherein a $40 malicious programme could harm systems across the world. According to the authorities, BlackShades Remote Access Tool or RAT has been sold to as many as thousands of users since the year 2010. It has generated sales of over $350,000. One of the co-creators of the programme is also providing extensive information and cooperation.

The owner of BlackShades, Alex Yucel was arrested in Moldova in November last year. He is facing extradition to the US. Michael Hogue of Maricopa in Arizona who was the co-creator of the programme has pleaded to being guilty after his arrest in June in the year 2012.

This malicious software lets hackers steal personal information and also intercept keystrokes. It also enables hackers to hijack webcames and maintain records of computer users. BlackShades has also been used for encrypting and locking computer data files so that people can pay a ransom to regain access.

The low cost of this hacking malware had made it very popular across different users. Its variants have also been circulated across different countries. Computer security firm Symantec indicated that the use of BlackShades was on the rise. Programme licenses cost around $40 to $100.

In the raids conducted by French officials, two of the BlackShades developers were arrested. A list of their customers was also procured. Law enforcement coordination agencies Europol and Eurojust said that law enforcement officials in 13 European countries and the US, Canada and Chile have raided 359 properties to get more than 1000 data storage devices with this malware.

The State Prosecutor's Office in Paris said that nearly 2 dozen people were arrested following the raids in May 13. The persons who are arrested were French citizens who had acquired this malware and used it.

The world malware is a combination of the two words malicious and software and it allows the user of the tool to gain complete access to the computer of the victim. What is even more disturbing is that there are keystroke loggers who record everything that is being typed into a log which then points to the subject of the perpetrator so that everything from passwords and user names to bank account numbers can be recorded.

Users must take the precaution of having anti-virus software installed on their systems so that they are protected against the virus. If the computer starts slowing down even a bit, there are chances that someone may have accessed your system using malware.