Microsoft has taken down a major botnet that used malware distributed through counterfeit Windows software. The Nitol botnet was hosted on a domain owned by a Chinese firm linked to spreading malware since 2008. Microsoft found malware capable of turning on a computer’s microphone and video camera, potentially giving cybercriminals a view of a victim’s home or business. The botnet’s command-and-control servers are located in Beijing, with others in the United States and the Cayman Islands. The takedown was the second for Microsoft in the last six months.”]

