Jeanson James Ancheta
Encyclopedia
On May 9, 2006, Jeanson James Ancheta (born 1985 in Downey, California
) became the first person to be charged for controlling large numbers of hijacked computers or botnet
s.
in California until 2001 when he dropped out of school. He later entered an alternative program for students with academic or behavioral problems. He worked at an Internet cafe and according to his family wanted to join the military reserves. Around June 2004 he started to work with botnets after discovering rxbot
, a common computer worm that could spread his net of infected computers.
term for a collection of software robots, or "bots
", that run autonomously and automatically, often for malicious purposes. Hackers
have for some time utilized Botnets for various purposes, but Ancheta set himself above the crowd by actively advertising his network of bots on Internet chat channels.
A Web site Ancheta ran included a range of prices he charged people who wanted to rent out the machines, along with guidelines on how many bots were required to bring down a particular type of Web site.
On May 9, 2006 Ancheta pleaded guilty to four felony charges of violating United States Code Section 1030, Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Computers, specifically subsections (a)(5)(A)(i), 1030 (a)(5)(B)(i), and 1030(b). Ancheta must serve 60 months in prison, forfeit a 1993 BMW and more than $58,000 in profit. He must also pay restitution of $15,000 US to the U.S. federal government for infecting the military computers.
Downey, California
Downey is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city is best known as the birthplace of the Apollo space program, and is the city where folk singer Karen Carpenter lived and died...
) became the first person to be charged for controlling large numbers of hijacked computers or botnet
Botnet
A botnet is a collection of compromised computers connected to the Internet. Termed "bots," they are generally used for malicious purposes. When a computer becomes compromised, it becomes a part of a botnet...
s.
Biography
Ancheta was going to Downey High SchoolDowney High School
Downey High School is one of two senior high schools located in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey, California, and within the Downey Unified School District. It is located at 11040 Brookshire Ave. At the present time the school has an enrollment of about 3719 students, of a variety of racial and...
in California until 2001 when he dropped out of school. He later entered an alternative program for students with academic or behavioral problems. He worked at an Internet cafe and according to his family wanted to join the military reserves. Around June 2004 he started to work with botnets after discovering rxbot
Agobot (computer worm)
Agobot, also frequently known as Gaobot, is a family of computer worms. Axel "Ago" Gembe, a German programmer, was responsible for writing the first version....
, a common computer worm that could spread his net of infected computers.
Botnets
Botnet is a jargonJargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
term for a collection of software robots, or "bots
Internet bot
Internet bots, also known as web robots, WWW robots or simply bots, are software applications that run automated tasks over the Internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone...
", that run autonomously and automatically, often for malicious purposes. Hackers
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
have for some time utilized Botnets for various purposes, but Ancheta set himself above the crowd by actively advertising his network of bots on Internet chat channels.
A Web site Ancheta ran included a range of prices he charged people who wanted to rent out the machines, along with guidelines on how many bots were required to bring down a particular type of Web site.
Arrest and sentence
In November 2005 he was captured in an elaborate sting operation when FBI agents lured him to their local office on the pretext of collecting computer equipment. The arrest was part of the Operation Bot Roast.On May 9, 2006 Ancheta pleaded guilty to four felony charges of violating United States Code Section 1030, Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Computers, specifically subsections (a)(5)(A)(i), 1030 (a)(5)(B)(i), and 1030(b). Ancheta must serve 60 months in prison, forfeit a 1993 BMW and more than $58,000 in profit. He must also pay restitution of $15,000 US to the U.S. federal government for infecting the military computers.