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Cybercriminals join forces

Cybercriminals are linking up networks of infected PCs using malicious code and malware.

By joining forces, criminals are trying to reduce the effectiveness of security applications and anti-virus software.

According to PC World, criminals operating botnet networks – which link computers infected with similar viruses and malware – can form huge botnetweb's if they combine their efforts.

Atif Mushtaq of online security firm FireEye said that the criminals "are not a bunch of nerds sitting in some dark room developing these botnets for fun".

"These are organized people running this in the form of a sophisticated business," he added.

According to the firm, the command and control servers, which issue orders to infected computers to send spam and relay malicious files, are often found in the same hosting facilities – pointing to the fact that these illegal botnets are not in competition with each other.

According to ZDNet, malware often contains self-destruct code, which can delete all data from a computer if attempts to remove the malicious software are made.

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