HackersISPs asked to help fight hackers
DHS and the Department of Commerce are considering a proposal that would request assistance from Internet-service providers in combatting computer viruses known as botnets
ISPs asked to join fight against hackers // Source: rootshell.be
DHS and the Department of Commerce are considering a proposal that would request assistance from Internet-service providers in combatting computer viruses known as botnets.
According to a notice published in the Federal Register, the proposal, which is open for comments until 4 November, is designed to “reduce the harm that botnets inflict on the nation’s computing environment.”
Hackers use viruses to link personal computers together to form super computers that are then used to launch powerful cyberattacks that can cripple government and private sector networks. To take control of a personal computer, hackers send out programs disguised as links or tucked away in email attachments that infect a computer when opened.
Symantec Corp, a leading cyber security firm, estimates there are roughly 3.5 million to 5.4 million botnets around the world. In addition, at least 18 percent of all home computers are being remotely controlled by hackers according to Damballa Inc., a cybersecurity research firm that tracks botnets.
“Botnets are increasingly putting computer owners at risk of intrusions by malicious actors and the loss of computing power and Internet access,” said Chris Ortman, a spokesman for DHS. The proposal “will help DHS evaluate the extent to which voluntary notification of botnet infections can reduce and protect against cyber threats.”
The agencies argue that Internet-service providers like AT&T, Time-Warner, and Verizon are best suited to detect botnets and to notify their customers of infections as they have a “pre-existing relationship” with users.
As an incentive to entice service providers to create a voluntary standard for botnet detection and communication, the government may offer protection from lawsuits stemming from cyberattacks that may have originated from customers’ computers.
In their notice, the agencies also suggested establishing a “resource center” to support people whose computers have been infected by botnets.
