Sign in / up

back to article Boffins plot to disrupt underground black markets

Academic researchers are developing techniques to disrupt underground black markets frequented by malicious hackers and virus writers. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed two approaches to interrupt the operation of black market sites that hawk viruses, stolen data, and attack services. One tactic …

COMMENTS

House rules Send corrections
This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Peter Mc Aulay
    Thumb Down

    Disrupting online markets

    "bad mouthing buyers or sellers"... "deceptive sales environment"... "establishing fake verified-status identities"...

    So how is this different from what happens on the internet all the time, right now?

    0 0
  2. Alan Donaly
    Alert

    this is bad idea

    A market is a market any fiddling tools are going to end up in the hands of the criminals and governments these boffins need to be held responsible for any damage done legitimate commerce by their tools possibly jail time when the inevitable happens.

    0 0
  3. Steve

    "So how is this different...?"

    These guys are amateurs.

    0 0
  4. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Arms race...

    It is only a matter of time until someone co-ops these tools and uses them to disrupt "legitimate" markets, ebay, etc.

    0 0
  5. Keith
    Stop

    Wouldn't work over here

    Those techniques could be viewed as breaking the 2006 Fraud act. So employing them here could result in jail time.

    0 0
  6. David Wilkinson

    How about some arrests?

    How about instead of 5,000-20,000 lawsuits against people trading mp3's we have that many investigations into those trading stolen credit cards.

    I just find it strange that is more dangerous to trade in mp3's than in stolen credit card numbers.

    0 0
  7. Adrian Esdaile
    Unhappy

    @David Wilkinson

    Not strange at all. At most a credit card number is worth say AUS$5,000 which is an average credit limit. More likely you'd get $1000 then the banks start noticing and phone you (mine does anyway).

    One single MP3, according to the RIA Ass. is worth $4.7bajillion (with Dr.Evil finger in mouth) or seems to be the way they sue...

    0 0
  8. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    David

    Its obvious. when you download an mp3 you are "stealing" from a business. when you steal a credit card number you are only stealing from another peon. anyone can steal from the masses and nobody cares, just ask benny hin. just dont steal from the ruling class.

    0 0
  9. Sean Nevin

    Re: How about some arrests?

    It's more dangerous to trade .mp3s because that is "hurts" large businesses. Hence the tough penalties and strongarm tactics. Dealing in credit card numbers and identity theft only hurts the "little peons", and so warrants little to no attention from governments or law enforcement.

    Sorry, I'm just in a bitter mood....

    0 0

  10. This post has been deleted by its author

  11. Lukin Brewer

    Re: Slightly different idea

    There is a similar app. The Refi Retaliator II - Fake Bank Form Filler fills the application forms on phishing sites with fake data, poisoning the phisher's victim database with hundreds of nonexistent people. It doesn't always work properly, though, as the phishers have to keep changing their forms to counter it.

    0 0
This topic is closed for new posts.