Microsoft sues over malicious online ads
Aiming to crack down on a growing problem, Microsoft said it filed five lawsuits Thursday against parties it suspects of posting online advertisements laden with malicious code. Microsoft has tried to work with ad networks to thwart such "malvertising" in the past, but this is the first time it has gone to court.
"Our filings in King County Superior Court in Seattle outline how we believe the defendants operated, but in general, malvertising works by camouflaging malicious code as harmless online advertisements," Microsoft Associate General Counsel Tim Cranton said in a blog posting.
In each case, Microsoft is suing the unknown parties responsible for the ads. "Although we don't yet know the names of the specific individuals behind these acts, we are filing these cases to help uncover the people responsible and prevent them from continuing their exploits," Cranton said.
