Microsoft is offering a $250,000 (£155,000) reward for new information resulting in the identification, arrest and criminal conviction of those behind a notorious spam email group.
At its height, the so-called Rustock botnet was sending up to 30 billion spam emails a day, but was taken down during a Microsoft-led operation in March 2011.
Richard Boscovich, a senior attorney at Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit, said in a blog: “This reward offer stems from Microsoft’s recognition that the Rustock botnet is responsible for a number of criminal activities and serves to underscore our commitment to tracking down those behind it.”
While the main aim of Microsoft’s legal operation has been to block the threat Rustock posed, the company also believes those in the group should be held accountable for their actions, Richard Boscovich said.
In addition to sending out spam emails, Rustock was also responsible for other crimes, including advertising counterfeit or unapproved versions of Viagra and violating the trademarks of the manufacturer Pfizer.
Residents of any country are eligible for the reward because the Rustock botnet affected the internet community worldwide, said Boscovich.
Figures released by Microsoft in July show there were still more than 700,000 computers worldwide infected with Rustock in June 2012, with India at the top of the “infection” league. The UK was not listed in the top ten countries.
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