More spyware in the news. After infecting over 26,000 machines with a variant of an internet worm, a 20 year old in Los Angeles has been arrested for using those infections to get money. Selling ads for a 180Solutions based company and another ad provider, as well as renting his network of infected machines to others, he pulled in nearly $60,000 in the course of a few months. It wasn't to last, and now he doesn't face just fraud charges, but a lot more:
"Jeanson Ancheta faces a 17-count federal indictment charging him with two counts of conspiracy and various forms of computer intrusion and money laundering. The government is also seeking the seizure of more than $60,000 in cash, a used BMW and some computer equipment from the alleged hacker. "
People and institutions on both sides of the fence are starting to crack down on spyware and other malicious Internet activities. With the vastly increased numbers of wired machines out there, however, it seems many of their efforts are in vain.