FBI and Microsoft have come together to disrupt the Citadel botnet network which is alleged of stealing people’s identities and their online banking details. The Citadel is a malware and the botnet network is based on this malware. However, Microsoft said that considering the size of the Citadel malware, it may be virtually impossible to take out all botnet networks throughout the world that make use of this malware.

Botnets are computer networks that are infected by malwares. Cybercriminals often take control of these networks. Using these networks, the cybercriminals often spread viruses, send automated spam emails, attack servers and computers and commit various other types of cybercrimes. The worst factor is that a computer owner is always unaware of this.

The massive attack launched by FBI and Microsoft on Citadel botnet was code named as Operation b54. Together they took out over 1,400 botnets using Citadel. These 1,400+ botnets are alleged of $500 million losses for businesses and people globally. The information about this attack from Microsoft and FBI was posted in a blog post written by Richard Domingues Boscovich, who is the assistant general counsel of Digital Crimes Unit of Microsoft.

It was reported by Microsoft in a statement that the Citadel botnet network effected well over 5 million people globally with maximum impact on Australia, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and U.S.

On Wednesday, June 5, 2013 U.S. law enforcement and Microsoft together seized enormous amounts of evidences and data from botnets. This also included a couple of facilities for data hosting located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Earlier, U.S. District Court for Western District of North Carolina authorized Microsoft to cut off all communications between infected computer that were under Microsoft’s control and 1,462 botnets.

Microsoft along with its partners started investigating at the beginning of 2012. They found that Citadel infected computers were recording keystrokes and were gaining access to bank accounts and other online accounts of the victims and stole their personal identities and their money.