14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is offering a substantial cash incentive, $250,000, for any information that will lead to the identification, arrest and criminal conviction of the cybercriminals behind the Rustock malware and botnet. In March 2011, the Redmond company, in collaboration with third-party security experts and law enforcement agencies, was successful in taking down the giant spam network built from zombie computers worldwide infected with Rustock.
Estimates put the number of zombie PCs under the control of Rustock cybercriminals to in excess of 1 million. At its peak, the Rustock botnet was capable of producing and sending a veritable flood of unsolicited messages, more than 30 billion spam mails per day.
Once it killed the botnet, Microsoft’s focus shifted to efforts designed to bring the people behind Rustock to justice.
The software giant filed civil lawsuits against the cybercriminals responsible for the botnet, believed to be in Russia, and debuted a campaign set up to inform them of the legal action, as well as to call them out.
With the cybercriminals behind Rustock failing to take responsibility for their actions, Microsoft is now upping the ante, offering a reward of no less than $250,000 for any info that will make their identities public so that they can be arrested and prosecuted.
“This reward offer stems from Microsoft’s recognition that the Rustock botnet is responsible for a number of criminal activities and serves to underscore our commitment to tracking down those behind it. While the primary goal for our legal and technical operation has been to stop and disrupt the threat that Rustock has posed for everyone affected by it, we also believe the Rustock bot-herders should be held accountable for their actions,” revealed Richard Boscovich, Senior Attorney, Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit.
The company made available a document detailing the $250,000 bounty on the head of Rustock authors on the noticeofpleadings.com, the same website used to inform the cybercriminals of the legal actions introduced against them.
“The total maximum amount eligible for reward is $250,000.00 (USD value). Residents of any country are eligible for the reward pursuant to the laws of that country, because the Rustock botnet affected the Internet community worldwide. Anyone with information on the Rustock botnet or its operators should contact Microsoft at avreward at microsoft.com,” Boscovich added.
It’s not the first time that Microsoft ponies up a quarter of a million dollars in order to help identify, arrest and prosecute malware authors. Softpedia readers might remember that a $250,000 reward was offered for the cybercriminals behind the Conficker worm back in 2009.