Counterfeit Software Preloaded with Malware and the Link to Botnets: Operation b70

Source: blogs.technet.com
Author: Tim Rains - Microsoft

For years I have heard talk in the industry that much of the counterfeit software available on the Internet was preloaded with malware. How much of the counterfeit software available is preloaded with malware? What type of malware is preloaded on these systems and what does it allow the attackers to do?

Today, Microsoft’s Digital Crime Unit (DCU) made an announcement that allows us to get a glimpse into the answers to these questions. DCU conducted a study to get a sense of how much of the counterfeit software available is preloaded with malware. Microsoft researchers purchased 20 new computers from PC malls. These systems had counterfeit software preinstalled on them by the distributor. DCU examined the files on these PCs and found malware on four of the 20 computers that were purchased, a 20 percent infection rate.

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