Botherding became a little less profitable for eight people named in a Federal Bureau of Investigation statement. The second pahse of an ongoing probe into botnets, dubbed Bot Roast II, reached targets in the US and abroad.

One example cited by the FBI noted cooperation between the Bureau and authorities in New Zealand, where law enforcement executed a search warrant against the suspected ringleader of an international group of botnet operators.

The report also noted the case of John Schiefer, who pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to four felony counts. Schiefer’s case was the first in the US where botnet activities earned the accused a charge under a federal wiretap statute.

"Practicing strong computer security habits such as updating anti-virus software, installing a firewall, using strong passwords, and employing good e-mail and web security practices are as basic as putting locks on your doors and windows," said FBI assistant director James Finch, of the Agency’s Cyber Division.

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