500000 computers infected with webcam malware

More than a half million computers in more than 100 countries were infected by sophisticated malware that lets cybercriminals take over a computer and hijack its webcam, authorities said as charges were announced Monday against more than 100 people worldwide.

The software, Blackshades Remote Access Tool, lets someone hack into your computer and access documents, record keystrokes, and activate the webcam. The software is activated when someone clicks on a malicious link, often from social networking sites. This then initiates a download of the software.

According to The Telegraph, 97 people have been arrested so far in connection to the spying software. In the US, the FBI picked up a user in New Jersey who's accused of using RAT to steal sexually explicit photos of 45 victims through their webcams. This follows two earlier Blackshades-related arrests of men accused of capturing and stealing images of thousands of women and girls. The "global takedown" also involved the arrest of a 24-year-old Swedish citizen who's charged with selling RAT and offering technical support to buyers, making as much as $350,000 in the process.

"This case is a strong reminder that no one is safe while using the Internet," said Koen Hermans, an official representing the Netherlands in the European Union's criminal investigation coordination unit, Eurojust. "It should serve as a warning and deterrent to those involved in the manufacture and use of this software."

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