Microsoft Takes the Fight Against Cyber Criminals Worldwide

Criminal activity on the internet keeps increasing. Borderless reaches, legal boundaries and advances in technology have made cyber fraud a growing problem. Microsoft is leading an effort to create partnerships that will break down the boundaries and take the prosecution effort across borders.

Here are some recent examples of this.

Courtesy of BBC News:

Microsoft is launching legal action against 100 phishing gangs based in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

By the end of March, 53 cases will have begun said Microsoft, with all 100 filed by the end of June. Seven of the criminal groups behind fake websites that trick people into handing over confidential information are known to be in the UK.

The legal cases follow investigative work undertaken by Microsoft, national police forces and Interpol.

European phishing gangs targeted

AND just last week, Microsoft filed more actions against illegal software being sold on eBay. Here is the scoop from their press release:

"Cheap, pirated and counterfeit software abounds in the online marketplace. To help address the problem, Microsoft Corp. today announced it has filed eight lawsuits against sellers who Microsoft alleges sold counterfeit Microsoft software using eBay auctions. These eight cases reflect the company's ongoing efforts to protect its legitimate business partners and customers from dishonest business practices and the risks associated with pirated and counterfeit software."

"The eight defendants are located in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York and Washington."

"Microsoft identified seven of the defendants through customer submissions to the company's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program. WGA is an online validation tool for customers to determine whether their software is genuine and gives them the option of submitting counterfeit reports on their suppliers if they did not receive genuine software. Complaints were also made about some of the defendants to the company's anti-piracy hotline, 1-800-RU-LEGIT (785-3448)."

Here is the full press release:

Microsoft Files Lawsuits Against Online Sellers to Help Protect Consumers From Illegal Software

For years, jurisdictional boundaries have hampered law enforcement efforts. Recently, in Cyber Criminals Love a Lack of Communication, I quoted Robert Mueller (FBI Director) as stating:

"Cyber space has been likened to the Wild West, an open and largely unprotected frontier with seemingly limitless opportunities. Like any new frontier, there will be those who seek to stake their claims, whether by legal or illegal means. And like the outlaws of the Wild West, the outlaws of this new world operate without boundaries and without barriers. They are moving as fast and as far as the technology will take them."

AND so it seems, Microsoft is right on their tail.

Here is more on Microsoft's (Bill's own) vision of the future of cyber security as he presented it to the RSA conference last month.

Gates Shares Microsoft's Vision for a More Secure Future