Cybercrime ring busted

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September 30th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

According to the Wall Street Journal, more than 60 individuals in the United States and Eastern Europe have been arrested for allegedly participating in a massive cyber crime ring. The group used a virus called the Zeus trojan to spy on infected computers and steal bank account information, resulting in a theft of $3 million.

The Journal reports that this bust is related "to the arrest of 19 people in London on Tuesday in a probe into an international cybercrime group that allegedly stole at least £6 million, or $9.5 million, from U.K. banks."

Nine of those recently arrested where living in New York, acting largely as money mules who transported the ill-gotten goods.

It's nice to see that law enforcement was on the ball here; it's too bad the same probably can't be said for those whose accounts were hacked. So much of cybercrime is preventable by the very people who end up its victims. While we can't say for sure that every person victimized was unprotected, an unprotected computer is much more likely to be attacked. You can protect yourself by installing Internet security software, and keeping it up-to-date.

Check out our reviews and comparisons of Internet security software, and learn how to keep your PC—and your bank account—out of the hands of hackers.