Zeus software behind one-in-ten botnets
Build-your-own-botnet kits based on a family of malicious software known as Zeus account for about one out of every ten botnets, according to data collected by security firm Damballa.
The kits, which sell for $400 to $700, allow a would-be criminal with rudimentary technical skills to bake their own custom bot software and have become so popular that a large community of developers have created plugins to further customize the software, said Gunter Ollmann, vice president of research for the Atlanta-based firm. The firm tracks a few thousand botnets, more than 200 of which are based on the Zeus code, Ollman said.
"Zeus has picked up a lot of momentum," he said. "If you are a beginner, then you might have heard about Zeus from the press. And, if you are someone looking for specific features, the plugins allow you to do that."
