Russian Hacker Responsible for One-Third of Global Spam is Finally Apprehended
Russian Hacker Responsible for One-Third of Global Spam is Finally Apprehended
Posted 12/05/2010 at 2:07pm
| by Justin Kerr
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Russia may be popular for its Vodka and caviar, but its stock among the tech savvy has been going down rapidly ever since it was revealed that they are also the No. 1 source of spam in the world. Interestingly enough however this might be set to change with the apprehension of 23-year-old Oleg Nikolaenko who has been accused of spearheading operations responsible for sending over 10 billion spam emails per day.
Nikolaenko’s botnet has been referred to in legal documents as Mega-D, a network of computers that is estimated to be composed of over half a million machines. His advertising efforts have primarily been focused on Rolex counterfeits and herbal remedies, but the true scope of his operations likely won’t be fully understood until the authorities have time to review all the evidence.
According to Valleywag Nikolaenko is facing a fine of up to $250,000 and three years in prison, though a careful examination of the facts would suggest that this might be little more than a slap on the wrist. According to one of Nikolaenko’s clients he alone spent more than 2 million on spam advertising, an admission that would suggest to us that Oleg might just have a cozy little nest egg to retire on when he emerges from prison.
Does the punishment fit the crime?
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andresau
April 05, 2011 at 9:45am
I don't see how one person should be responsible for all the spam in the world. However, I think the punishment needs to be a little more severe in order to send a message out to the spam generating community. Ever since I started using the internet my luck has changed significantly. I win at four lotteries a day from a plethora of countries around the world.
Ghok
December 06, 2010 at 8:22am
I don't see how 3 years in prison is a slap on the wrist. Not that the guy doesn't deserve it.
Nimrod
December 06, 2010 at 3:13am
I sure hope MaxPC is waiting on the feds to put the guys spamming this board away as well.
I mean come the Fk on. The first FOUR posts on THIS topic are all SPAM for counterfit goods!
weengo
December 05, 2010 at 7:27pm
Following the "Valleywag" link shows:
"starting in 2007, the FBI began closing in on Nikolaenko. He was arrested on Nov. 4th, while in Las Vegas for a car show, and now faces a $250,000 fine and up to three years in prison."
but on the FBI warning label on DVDs these days states:
"Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000."
whathuhitwasntme
December 05, 2010 at 5:53pm
this guy is so effective he is
STILL spamming maximumpc from jail
jraschke11
December 05, 2010 at 3:05pm
I say put him away for life, he is a menace to society.
He may not be a serial killer or rapist, but he is absolutely a danger to the good order of modern society and there is no place for him. Sure the court could ban him from computers for life or something, but that is not really feasible. The only way to ensure he does not disrupt the daily lives of millions of people in this world is to eliminate him from the equation. Not to mention the millions (billions?) of dollars in counterfeit goods sales he is directly responsible for.
As a network engineer, I can only imagine the possibilities in a world where SPAM is not the issue like it is today. The end user would see a clear and direct positive impact upon global computing resources and internet traffic due to the clearing of congestion from his billion of daily spam e-mails.
Walnut
December 05, 2010 at 6:05pm
+1
Take him out behind the storage shed and shoot him. Or life. That's fine too. I have a special sort of disdain reserved for people who profit from making other peoples' lives more difficult.
bonus45
December 05, 2010 at 5:02pm
Now if the FBI could actually stop the notorious Maximum PC comment spam gang I'd be impressed !
praetor_alpha
December 05, 2010 at 8:49pm
I think it's time for the banhammer to be switched to IP mode.
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