Gov't wants "the idiots" off the web

[Dravyk]

FTC Would Kill the Messenger

Home computer users who unwittingly send out spam e-mail should be disconnected from the internet until their machines are fixed, the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday.

The FTC said it would ask 3,000 internet providers worldwide to make sure that their customers' computers haven't been hijacked by spammers who want to cover their tracks and pass bandwidth costs on to others.

Online viruses like SoBig turn infected computers into spam-spewing "zombies" that send out millions of unwanted messages without the owner's knowledge. Zombie networks are responsible for 50 percent to 80 percent of all spam, according to various estimates.

Because many home users lack the technical smarts to fight the problem on their own, the FTC hopes their internet providers will help, although they are not required to do so.

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http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,67640,00.html