Operation: Bot Roast is an operation by theFBI to track downbot herders, crackers, or virus coders who install malicious software on computers through the Internet without the owners' knowledge, which turns the computer into azombie computer that then sends out spam to other computers from the compromised computer, making abotnet or network of bot infected computers. The operation was launched because the vast scale of botnet resources poses a threat tonational security.[1]
The operation was created to disrupt and disassemble bot herders. In June 2007, theFBI had identified about 1 million computers that were compromised, leading to the arrest of the persons responsible for creating themalware. In the process, owners of infected computers were notified, many of whom were unaware of the exploitation.[1][2]
Some early results of the operation include charges against the following: