Securing the Borderless Network: Security for the Web 2.0 World

Chapter 9. Who Are These Guys?

This chapter includes the following topics:

• The Business of Malware

• Studying Pharmaceutical Spam

• Other Links in the Global Chain

• Taking on the Bad Guys

So who are the online criminals who have made malware such a big business? How are they using malware, botnets, spam, and phishing attacks—and Web 2.0 tools and technologies—to profit?

They range from small-time crooks to highly sophisticated international organizations. These organizations offer botnets for rent; create and distribute malware; pay affiliates for spamming, marketing, and fulfillment services; and engage in a host of other bad behavior.

In this chapter, we take a look behind the curtain of the online criminal ecosystem—from malware developers ...