The FBI Fights Malware with More Lethal Malware

The U.S. government just went on the cyber-offensive in shooting down a network of malware-spewing servers.For the first time, the FBI has destroyed a botnet — an organization that hijacks users’ computers via remote servers to unfurl malicious software — by hijacking the culpable servers to send stop commands.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/04/the-fbi-fights-malware-with-mo.phpAlso see:FBI closes in on zombie PC gang
US crime-fighters are closing in on a gang behind a huge botnet after taking control of the criminals’ servers.It is the first time FBI investigators have used such a method.The US Justice Department had to seek court permission from a judge to carry out the sting.It enabled the authorities to issue its own commands, effectively ordering the malware to shut down. It also logged the IP addresses of compromised machines.It means the authorities will be able to notify ISPs about which machines have been infected and ISPs in turn can let victims know that their machines had been taken over.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13078297