VX Groups a dying breed, but they wont be missed

Microsoft's Malware Protection Center has picked up on some positive news that comes at a time when online threats are apparently increasing without limit. According to the MMPC's blog, there have been two VX (Virus writing and sharing) groups to have shut down in a very short period of time, seemingly without any external pressure. According to the post, there is really only one active group remaining, something which would have seemed far fetched not even a decade ago.

In the past, before the Internet really became commonplace, there were various groups of like-minded hackers who gathered together online (and in some cases in person) to share their knowledge about the detailed ins and outs of the systems, networks and technologies that were rapidly emerging. Some of these groups decided to focus on the malicious aspect of their knowledge, and thus were formed the first VX groups. As different groups came into contact with each other and knowledge and skills were shared and guarded, the VX scene emerged. Groups published and distributed 'zines (electronic magazines which were nothing more than elaborate text files) with details of their recent activities, samples of their work, and new discoveries that were considered essential to distribute and demonstrate that particular VX group or hacker's superiority. It was like a gossip network meets the Christmas letter, except the only members were very technical and very secretive about their real identities.