Russia dismantles 4.5 million computers botnet

The Russian government has announced that it has arrested a hacker who operates under the pseudonyms Hermes and Arashi. The Russian had a large botnet and tried to loot bank accounts with Trojans.

According to the Russians, the botnet itself consisted of about 4.5 million computers, but about 6 million computers are infected with trojans. This would concern the trojan Carberp and its variants. According to the authorities, the 22-year-old and his accomplices managed to steal a total amount of 3.6 million euros. It is not the first time that Russian hackers have used such malware to loot bank accounts.

With the malware, login details for online banking were stolen, after which the hacker transferred funds to bank accounts of non-existent companies. The money was then withdrawn from ATMs with the help of others. According to the authorities, almost all infected computers are located in Russia.

In addition to the 22-year-old hacker, the Russian police also arrested his accomplices. In addition, the Russian government has filed charges for fraud, illegal access to computer information and the use, distribution and creation of malware.