Microsoft seeks to defend US election in botnet takedown


Microsoft announced legal action on Oct 12, 2020 seeking to disrupt a major cybercrime digital network that uses more than one million zombie computers to loot bank accounts and spread ransomware, which experts consider a major threat to the US presidential election. — AP

A coalition of technology companies used a federal court order unsealed Monday to begin dismantling one of the world’s most dangerous botnets in an effort to preempt disruptive cyberattacks before next month’s US presidential election.

The takedown is a highly coordinated event, spearheaded by the software giant Microsoft Corp and involving telecommunications providers in multiple countries. If the operation succeeds, it will disable a global network of infected computers created by a popular malicious software known as Trickbot.

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