Fergie's Tech Blog

Cyber Security Bill Targets Botnets

Grant Gross writes on PC World:

A tech trade group and a leading cybersecurity vendor applauded new legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress that would broaden penalties for cybercrime, including first-time penalties for botnet attacks.

The Cyber Security Enhancement Act, introduced Monday, would create for the first time criminal penalties for botnet attacks often used to aid identity theft, denial-of-service attacks and the spread of spam and spyware. Botnets are groups of compromised computers that hackers can control remotely.

The bill, introduced by Representatives Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, and Steve Chabot, an Ohio Republican, would also allow prosecutors to pursue racketeering charges against cybercriminal groups, would expand sentencing guidelines for cybercrime by allowing the forfeiture of property used to commit the crime, and would add US$30 million a year to the budgets of federal agencies fighting cybercrime.

posted by Fergie @ 5/15/2007 12:48:00 PM