BlackShades malware hijacked half a million computers, FBI says

When I turned on my computer today, Windows told me I had updates. When I looked at them, most were for security issues, maybe some dealing with this issue.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/blackshades-malware-hijacked-half-a-million-computers-fbi-says/

CBS/APMay 19, 2014

The FBI says more than a half million computers in more than 100 countries were infected by sophisticated malware that lets cybercriminals take over a computer and hijack its webcam.

The FBI described its investigation in criminal complaints unsealed in Manhattan federal court Monday as charges against five individuals were announced.

Law enforcement sources told CBS News the criminal operation allegedly involved stealing information, controlling computers, and exploiting people whose computers were hacked. This investigation was separate from another major hacking case announced today, in which the Justice Department announced charges against five Chinese military hackers for allegedly stealing U.S. trade secrets.

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The malware allows hackers to steal personal information, intercept keystrokes and hijack webcams to make secret recordings of their users. BlackShades also can be used to encrypt and lock a computer's data files, blocking the rightful owners from regaining access unless they pay a ransom.

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Coordination agencies Europol and Eurojust, based in The Hague, Netherlands, said Monday that police in 13 European countries - Austria, Belgium, Britain, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Moldova, the Netherlands and Switzerland - as well as in the United States, Canada and Chile raided 359 properties and seized cash, firearms, drugs and more than 1,000 data storage devices.

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In a BlackShades-related related investigation before the latest global arrests, Dutch police earlier this year arrested a 18-year-old man for using the malware to take pictures of women and girls using about 2,000 computers.