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I'm assuming that the parts can be used for many different things.

The botnet can be rented out. And it can be used used to distribute ads. There was recently an article on HN about a guy who got arrested for putting spam on a botnet.

And I'm sure having access to private servers can be monetized in other areas too. At the very least you could use it to sell pirated material.

And of course the money laundering method they're using can probably be used in other areas too.



yep - the botnets are usually multipurpose. You can buy botnets containing a few thousand machines all over the place fairly cheaply now.


Do you know how likely it is for the police to arrest a bot herder?


Somewhere between low and impossible.

Usually it would be the users (the ones that send out the spam etc. via the networks) who get caught - and that is a very low number as well really (compared to those uncaught).




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