Sony Rootkit Virus Writers Arrested

Sometime back Sony BMG released DRM rootkit software. At that time Sony insisted that no one should care about the Sony BMG rootkits because most people had no clue what rootkits were. Almost immediately a virus known as Ryknos, Breplibot or Stinx-Q was written to exploit Sony rootkit vulnerability.

Ryknos allowed access to commercial information through a back door. Thousands of computers, most of them in the UK, were infected. Infection here means total control over the computer in question.

Three men, a 63-year-old from England, a 28-year-old from Scotland and a 19-year-old from Finland, have been arrested in connection with internet fraud. WSJ columnist Jeremy Wagstaff points out they are accused of being behind the infamous Ryknos or Stinx-Q virus.