TechWeb's Internet Evolution Maps the Web's 'Axis of Evil'Spam, child porn, illegal pharmaceuticals, and stolen data thrive under an international "badware" network that spans China, Estonia, Russia, the United States, and beyondPRNewswire NEW YORK, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Defying geography and law enforcement, the Internet's "Axis of Evil" is anchored by the Russian Business Network (RBN) and supported by a series of organized criminal cyber networks and ISPs that look the other way, according to a report released today on Internet Evolution. Other points along this so-called axis with RBN include Cernel, Esthost, EstDomains, Hostfresh, and Rove Digital, among many others. While spam email is the most visible manifestation of the axis at work, it's also one of the milder byproducts, according to Mary Jander, ThinkerNet Editor for Internet Evolution. "Their real stock-in-trade is much more sinister: child pornography, illegal online pharmacies, stolen credit card information, phony virus protection software, botnets, phishing, money laundering, and distributed denial-of-service attacks," Jander reports. “Cracking the Internet’s Axis of Evil,” Internet Evolution's report released today, looks at how these organizations flourish under the radar, relying on a myriad of loopholes in the law; and most insidiously, use a sort of "plausible deniability" when confronted with evidence of malevolent and illegal activity. Catching the culprits behind these "badware nets" won't be easy. It will require new laws and greater cooperation among ISPs, regulators, and governments. In the meantime, the forensics and evidence gathering is too often left to organizations like SANS, Spamhaus, and Trend Micro. About Internet Evolution Internet Evolution hosts more than 100 world-famous Internet experts - such as Kevin Mitnick, once the most-wanted computer hacker in the world; Dr. Lawrence Roberts, inventor of packet switching, and one of the world's foremost authorities on telecom network architectures; Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google; Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist.com; Paul Mockapetris, inventor of the Domain Name System (DNS); Howard Schmidt, former White House cybersecurity adviser; and Andrew Keen, author of Cult of the Amateur: How the Internet is killing our culture - all of whom are addressing today's critical socio-economic issues within its ThinkerNet blogosphere. Internet Evolution also offers broadcast-quality broadband video documentaries and interviews; investigative reports; and user-generated content facilitated via the latest Web 2.0 technology. About TechWeb TechWeb (techweb.com/aboutus), the global leader in business technology media, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and VoiceCon; online resources such as the TechWeb Network, Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and The Financial Technology Network; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, Wall Street & Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services ranging from next-generation performance marketing, integrated media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion. * 13.3 million business decision-makers: based on # of monthly connections About United Business Media Ltd. United Business Media Limited is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/ Contact Amy Averbook TechWeb's Internet Evolution (212) 925-0020 x112 averbook@lightreading.com SOURCE: Internet Evolution CONTACT: Amy Averbook, TechWeb's Internet Evolution, +1-212-925-0020 Web Site: http://www.internetevolution.com/ |