Google has reportedly deactivated a crypto hacking botnet that uses the Bitcoin blockchain to bypass cybersecurity.
What happen?
According to sources, more than 1 million machines worldwide were affected by the botnet attack known as ‘Glupteba’.
As a result Google has filed a civil complaint against Dmitry Staroviko and Alexander, including 15 other individuals.
Google stated in the report that 16 defendants had used this botnet to:
Mining cryptocurrencies through victims software.
Stealing victim information for sale to third parties.
Making purchases of necessities and services using a credit card with insufficient balance.
Selling machine usage access to third parties.
Interestingly about the botnet, it leverages blockchain technology in a unique way to protect it from conventional actions capable of crippling similar crimes.
The presence of bitcoin’s decentralization feature can be converted into assets that make the botnet more difficult to deactivate.
Chainalysis revealed this crime is the first time it has involved the use of botnets.
Google also warns of the potential for defendant -controlled entities - ‘Glupteba Enterprise’ to use this method directly, attacking new providers (servers) with malware.
