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<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Law enforcement agencies from around the world have shut down a <strong>global malware network</strong> which stole $5.9bn (£4.65bn) and is linked to other crimes, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The DOJ partnered with the FBI and other international agencies to take down what was "likely the world's largest botnet ever".</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Chinese national YunHe Wang, who is also a St Kitts and Nevis citizen, has been charged with creating and operating the network.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">A botnet is a network of computers which have been infected with malware and are being controlled by a malicious actor.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Wang is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, substantive computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">According to the indictment, between 2014 to 2022, Wang and others created and operated the botnet, called 911 S5, from about 150 servers around the world.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The botnet hacked into more than 19 million Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in almost 200 countries, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">An IP address is a unique code that identifies a device on the internet or network.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The botnet was used to carry out cyber attacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats and export violations, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The US estimated that more than half a million fraudulent unemployment insurance claims had originated from compromised IP addresses, resulting in a loss of more than $5.9bn.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The network also enabled cyber-criminals to buy goods with stolen credit cards or launder money, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Wang allegedly sold access to the IP addresses and received approximately $99m, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">He allegedly bought property in the US, St Kitts and Nevis, China, Singapore, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Assets worth a total of around $60m have been seized or identified for seizure, including a Ferrari, a Rolls-Royce and several watches, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Law enforcement agencies in Singapore and Thailand, as well technology giant Microsoft, were among the organisations that helped with the investigation.</p>
<p><em><strong>(BBC)</strong></em></p>
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<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Law enforcement agencies from around the world have shut down a <strong>global malware network</strong> which stole $5.9bn (£4.65bn) and is linked to other crimes, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The DOJ partnered with the FBI and other international agencies to take down what was "likely the world's largest botnet ever".</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Chinese national YunHe Wang, who is also a St Kitts and Nevis citizen, has been charged with creating and operating the network.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">A botnet is a network of computers which have been infected with malware and are being controlled by a malicious actor.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Wang is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, substantive computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in prison.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">According to the indictment, between 2014 to 2022, Wang and others created and operated the botnet, called 911 S5, from about 150 servers around the world.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The botnet hacked into more than 19 million Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in almost 200 countries, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">An IP address is a unique code that identifies a device on the internet or network.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The botnet was used to carry out cyber attacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats and export violations, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The US estimated that more than half a million fraudulent unemployment insurance claims had originated from compromised IP addresses, resulting in a loss of more than $5.9bn.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">The network also enabled cyber-criminals to buy goods with stolen credit cards or launder money, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Wang allegedly sold access to the IP addresses and received approximately $99m, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">He allegedly bought property in the US, St Kitts and Nevis, China, Singapore, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Assets worth a total of around $60m have been seized or identified for seizure, including a Ferrari, a Rolls-Royce and several watches, the DOJ said.</p>
<p class="sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fYAfXe">Law enforcement agencies in Singapore and Thailand, as well technology giant Microsoft, were among the organisations that helped with the investigation.</p>
<p><em><strong>(BBC)</strong></em></p>
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