On today’s Tech Report, we’re covering Flame, the latest super spooky bit of malware that’s taking over government computers across the Middle East and spying like crazy and might lead to war or some craziness. The way Flame reports it’s purloined data is to relay it along a long botnet of infected zombie computers that disguise the trail.
Botnets, by many accounts, are a growing problem in security and they’re hard to prosecute because of course the computers DON’T KNOW that they’re part of the problem. A White House summit on botnets convenes today as industry experts prepare to present a 9-point plan to combat botnets. This comes among concerns about privacy as well, says CNET:
One point they’re planning to stress, especially in the wake of the outcry over a cybersecurity bill called the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, is that any increased monitoring for botnets will not invade their customers’ privacy. Comcast said in 2010 that would begin offering all of its Internet customers a free service that alerts them if their computer appears to be infected with botnet malware.
CISPA, which would allow but not require companies to release confidential customer data, has sat moribund in the U.S. Senate after the Obama administration threatened a veto last month on privacy grounds.
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