Microsoft kills MacDefender scareware botnet

Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit has shut down a botnet that was investigated for hosting the MacDefender scareware that preyed on Mac OS X users. The botnet, known as Kelihos or "Waledac 2.0," has been linked to spam messages, ID-theft attacks, pump-and-dump stock scams and websites promoting the sexual exploitation of children, according to Microsoft senior attorney Richard Domingues Boscovich. The botnet contained about 41,000...