Microsoft thwarts Nitol botnet with restraining order

Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit was granted a restraining order against criminals behind the Nitol botnet, allowing the company to thwart the spread of more than 500 strains of malware targeting millions of people through unsecure supply chains.

The order, approved Monday by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, allows Microsoft to take over hosting the 3322.org domain, which once was repository of nearly 70,000 malicious subdomains managed by attackers, including the Nitol botnet.