Microsoft Raids Tackle Internet Crime
Source: NY Times
SEATTLE — Microsoft employees, accompanied by United States marshals, raided two nondescript office buildings in Pennsylvania and Illinois on Friday, aiming to disrupt one of the most pernicious forms of online crime today — botnets, or groups of computers that help harvest bank account passwords and other personal information from millions of other computers.
With a warrant in hand from a federal judge authorizing the sweep, the Microsoft lawyers and technical personnel gathered evidence and deactivated Web servers ostensibly used by criminals in a scheme to infect computers and steal personal data. At the same time, Microsoft seized control of hundreds of Web addresses that it says were used as part of the same scheme.
The sweep was part of a civil suit brought by Microsoft in its increasingly aggressive campaign to take the lead in combating such crimes, rather than waiting for law enforcement agencies to act. The company’s targets were equipment used to control the botnets, which criminals, known as bot-herders, use for ill intent.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/technology/microsoft-raids-tackle-online-crime.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=microsoft%20raid&st=cse
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babylonsister
(171,066 posts)got better protection, after paying for the pleasure. Now I'd better go check my bank account. 
saras
(6,670 posts)
groundloop
(11,519 posts)What's up with a corporation (Microsoft) taking part in a law enforcement activity?
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Actually, it sounded as if a law enforcement group was taking part in a corporation activity, which is even more
creepy.
Jazzgirl
(3,744 posts)How does Microsoft "raid" somebody's computers? I don't like these jerks either but it seems to me that the Justice Department would be the ones to do it.
anti-alec
(420 posts)
cademocr
(7 posts)right's lets see we know more than everyone else and we don't want to spend millions of our billions to fix it.
blows me away the windows 7 should have been a free recall, vista was a test on us..that we paid for.
Are all rich to big to fail?
If your using live.. doesn't that kind of give you a clue?
Fearless
(18,421 posts)inability to combat internet crime.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)Fearless
(18,421 posts)
onehandle
(51,122 posts)
FrodosPet
(5,169 posts)Or we could all return to dumb terminals incapable of running any programs other than 'send keystroke put received character on screen".
The earth friendly solution is to shut every one of them off. and quit building more. Electronics are VERY dirty, with toxic chemicals and copper mining and the energy used not only running, but building and distributing them).
nolabels
(13,133 posts)They get lots of money from third parties that enable and gives keys to those third parties to make programs that can operate in Win-doughs. So why would Microsoft want to cut that part of their income out 
In the corporate world we are all sold like cattle to the highest bidder, it's how fascism works
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)L0oniX
(31,493 posts)
blackspade
(10,056 posts)But I find it troubling that Microsoft security employees are the ones that "gathered evidence and deactivated Web servers" and " seized control of hundreds of Web addresses."
That a private firm is allowed to conduct a law enforcement action is chilling and is a continuation of the global privatization of security and information gathering.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)We are the audience to multi=layers of corporate takeover.
The kids coming up behind us will not know any other way of life.
Unless we all become keepers and teachers of the history of how the oligarchy gained control.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)that would be much better suited to the task than outside experts.
And I'm positive that there must be other organizations that advocate different operating systems that have the resources to donate the services of their employees for something like this.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)This is a law enforcement issue that should be handled by law enforcement, not run by a private corporation.
If a police department does not have a computer person on staff, then they have serious problems.
Government+corporations=fascism
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)You really believe that every police force should have a computer forensics unit standing by, in case they might catch a case where they might be needed? No city's budget can fubd that. I suppose you could just have you run of the mill LEO go in hamhanded and start dismantling equipment, destroying evidence in the process.
So which one do you support, paying IT guys to sit on their thumbs or unqualified cops seizing servers?
Temporary use of consultants is not privatzation, nor should the rantings of fanboys be given much consideration.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)a police computer forensic team available.
They can preform standard IT functions in their 'free' time.
Large municipalities should definately have dedicated units.
Statewide units should be available for smaller communities.
To answer your second question: Neither.
And your last point: Temporary use of consultants is definately privatization.
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)pri·va·tize (prv-tz)
tr.v. pri·va·tized, pri·va·tiz·ing, pri·va·tiz·es
To change (an industry or business, for example) from governmental or public ownership or control to private enterprise
When a company hires consultants, does ownership transfer to the consultants firms? If a police force hires a temporary consultant, does the consultant now run the police force?
If there were a permanent outsourcing of a police or firefighting unit to an organization not controlled by the local government, THAT would be privatization. Using experts for a one time gig is not privatization regardless of your feelings on the matter.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)Last edited Sat Mar 31, 2012, 09:57 AM - Edit history (1)
I'll stick with mine.
FYI, privatization has another definition which sums up exactly what I'm talking about.:
"The term is also used in a quite different sense, to mean government out-sourcing of services to private firms, e.g. functions like revenue collection, law enforcement, and prison management."
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)I'm all for going after crime but IMO that is a job for law enforcement, not a corporation but then what's the difference these days. pffft
I made the move to to Ubuntu and glad I did ...I'll never go back to MS.
DaveJ
(5,023 posts)This is why they need to be involved. If their AV is blocking attacks then they have information that law enforcement would not normally have.
Not that I'm totally against electronic activity, if they were Robin Hood variety, but chances are these are people who have no integrity and will do anything to enrich themselves. (but I digress)
Anyway, let me try an analogy, if a food company finds their food is being poisoned, wouldn't they be expected to do everything to go after to perpetrators with and with the help of police? This is a rhetorical question. The answer is yes.
