Click Fraud Aided by Botnets

The SANS Institute has evidence that botnets are being used for Google Adword click fraud, reports The Register.

According the story, networks of compromised PCs are being used to click banner ads to generate revenue for unscrupulous publishers.

Google Adsense has programs to detect fraudulent clicks and suspend publishers for click fraud, but The Register reports that some publishers are hiring botnets to disguise their bogus visits and remain undetected for click fraud.

According to the SANS Institute, traffic generated from a small number of computers, usually in the hundreds, seems inconspicuous. This process allows fraud scammers keep a low profile, and botnet owners get a small percentage of the profit.

The scam was discovered when security experts at SANS Institute investigated malicious software on a hacker’s website.

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Compiled by Paul Kerstein