Spammer Responsible for a third of all Spam in Court
I like this story from The Register. Here’s the first few paragraphs.
A Russian who allegedly at one time ran a network of compromised machines responsible for a third of global spam appeared in federal court in Wisconsin on Friday to deny the charges.
Oleg Y Nikolaenko, 23, a resident of Moscow, faces charges that he forged email spam messages in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act, following his arrest in Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel last month.
Prosecutors allege that the Russian was responsible for pumping out a staggering 10 billion spam messages per day, touting penis pills and counterfeit goods using the infamous Mega-D botnet network.
I wonder how many spam e-mails we’re going to see from Russia selling tickets, hotels and flights to the World Cup in 2018? Probably none, as Putin has given Sepp Blatter his word!
It’s Grim Up North!
I am a soft Southerner and a proud Londoner to boot, with the tough genes of a true mongrel. But especially after today’s weather reports from Jockshire, no sane man or woman would want to live north of Cambridge. I might make an exception for Liverpool, as I like my culture to have an edge.
Dr. Rosemary Recommends Aspirin
Research published today, says we should all take aspirin. The sane Doctor Rosemary Leonard on the BBC this morning, has said that she probably will and recommends you talk to your doctor about it.
Aspirin is a remarkable drug, that was known to the ancient Egyptians according to the definitive book on the subject.
Is Sian Williams Trying to Cheer Us All Up?
With all the bad news about the weather, is Sian Williams on BBC Breakfast trying to cheer half the population up, by showing her arms and knees? Or is it very hot in the studio?
The FBI Wades In
I posted the question, Are We Winning the Spam Wars, a few days ago.
Today there is this fascinating article on how the FBI is targetting a Russian spammer, on a web site called The Smoking Gun. The web site was started independently, but is now part of media giant, Time Warner, and gets a lot of its information through the Freedom of Information Act.
The numbers in the article are huge. The Russian is alledged to have controlled 500,000 computers and sent billions of spam e-mails every day, selling fake Rolexes and all the other rubbish. For one six-month period, he was paid, $459,000 by his clients.
I hope Mr. Putin is taking note and sends a few men round with heavy boots and large machine guns!
Mel Brooks Must be Laughing Himself Silly
It would appear that the new Spiderman Musical in New York is suffering from being as rediculous as Springtime for Hitler.
According to this article from the BBC, the New York Post has branded it an epic flop.
So obviously, the producers must be making a fortune, if they have followed Max Bialystock‘s advice.
Why Saving Marham is a Lost Cause
There is a big campaign in Norfolk to keep the Tornado base at Marham open.
Itb won’t work, as there is an election in Scotland and the Lib Dems will make sure Lossiemouth is saved.
The Truth About Prince Andrew
He has always been surrounded by mystery, with even questions about his real father being asked on Have I Got News For You?
But now the truth is finally published.
Have the BBC Shot Themselves in the Foot?
Panorama tonight reports that members of FIFA have taken bribes in the past. I would not know if they have, but then the records of the worlds’ top sporting bodies on corruption is generally not as snow white as it should be.
But I would not like to be the man from the BBC negotiating the next set of TV rights for the World Cup. I suspect that the matches won’t be shown on the BBC.
The Anonymous Widower 