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Hackers Under Arrest

a recent string of high-profile arrests of online criminals may be a sign that the tide is turning, in part due to improved cooperation among international law enforcement

September 30, 2004 — CSO — The world used to be their hackable oyster. But a recent string of high-profile arrests of online criminals may be a sign that the tide is turning, in part due to improved cooperation among international law enforcement.

In May, authorities in the southern German town of Waldshut acted on information provided by the FBI, arresting several suspects believed to be behind a prolific Trojan horse program called Agobot or Phatbot. A 21-year-old man was charged under the country's computer sabotage law for attacks on computers in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. On the same day, German authorities in Lower Saxony acted on information provided by Microsoft to arrest 18-year-old Sven Jaschan, believed to be the author of the Sasser worm that appeared in May. That arrest brought the string of Sasser worms to an abrupt end.

That said, computer crime investigators still face challenges to catch the bad guys, says Mark Rasch, senior vice president and chief security counsel at Solutionary.

"If a hacker wants to travel internationally, he can go from country to country to country without leaving his chair," Rasch says. In contrast, investigators must operate within the law, working painstakingly back through the hacker's trail, requesting information and getting permission (or a search warrant) to view compromised systems every step along the way.

-Paul Roberts