Fear and loathing in the Mariposa aftermath

Features
By Tom Brewster
published

When Luis Corrons helped take down the Mariposa botnet he was a proud man, but he had no idea about what was to follow.

Up until now, that is the entire story. Of course, that is not to say this unsavoury saga is over.

Corrons admitted that he is not free from danger. "I don't think these guys are a real threat, but in the end it's true that they know where I am, they know what I look like," he said, noting that one of the pair lives just half an hour from the PandLabs offices.

Something similar could happen to brave security experts across the world who hunt for illegal online activity, especially as amateur cyber crime is becoming seemingly easier for non-technical people.

"The police said that these guys [involved in the Mariposa botnet] were doing like 3,000 a month," Corrons added.

"They were like some kind of advanced users, but that is it, nothing else."

Tom Brewster
Tom Brewster

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.