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18-year old Owen Thorn Walker of New Zealand, aka “AKILL”, has been released on bail after being accused of setting up a botnet in the Netherlands that infected 1.3 million computers.
The leader of a group of programmers, he is charged with two counts of accessing a computer for dishonest purposes, damaging with a computer system, possessing software for committing crimes, and two counts of accessing a computer system without permission.
If found guilty, Walker could face up to 10 years in jail. 13 related arrest warrant have been issued.
The botnet stole identities, credit cards and banking information. Detective Inspector Peter Devoy of the New Zealand police said an estimated $20 million was siphoned from victims across the globe.
This is not an uncommon occurrence. In February, a teenager, known only as “B.D.H” in court documents, with the online handle “SoBe”, was before US courts. He plead guilty after being accused of profiting by installing adware on a bot network and seizing control of hundreds of thousands of zombie computers (innocent third-party compromised computers), including some belonging to the US military.
Also in February, raids by Sûreté du Québec and Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Quebec, Canada netted 17 people. Their ages ranged from 17 to 26.
They are thought to have run a zombie network (botnet) of over 1 million computers, spanning over 100 countries.
This is the largest and most damaging network of hackers ever discovered in Canada. Seven people were charged charged with illegally obtaining computer services, illegally possessing computer passwords, and hacking.
Further charges are expected as police sift through evidence seized in the raids. Head of the computer crime squad Captain Frédérick Gaudreau told the media, if found guilty, gang members could face up to 10 years behind bars.
Hundreds of officers were involved in the investigation into the gang after complaints were made in the summer of 2006 from both business and government computer users.
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