Attackers setting up own data centers for online crimes
podatkovni_centarThe malware writers and criminals who run botnets for years have been using shared hosting platforms as bases of operations for their online crimes. But security experts noticed that criminal have begun setting up their own virtual data centers.

The criminals buy servers and place them in a large data center to get massive amounts of IP space. Attackers who own their own large blocks of IP space have a much easier time hiding their activities than do criminals who have to go through legitimate ISPs (Internet service provider). Also, once the IP space has been allocated, getting it back can be a long and arduous process. The most famous example is the Russian Business Network case, in which a group of criminals was able to get a large amount of IP space by using an LIR (local Internet registries). Although the unauthorized allocation was made in 2006, that RIPE (European Regional Internet Registries) wasn’t able to close down the LIR and get the IP space back until May 2008. More information can be read at threatpost web site.