FTC forces hive of scum and villainy ISP offline

"3FN and APS Telecom were just two of the names that Pricewert operated under, and the FTC claims that the company advertised its services "on the darkest corners of the Internet, including a forum established to facilitate communication between criminals." In addition to peddling malware and spyware, Pricewert served up porn featuring not only children, but violence, bestiality, and incest.

"The FTC even claims to have IM logs showing Pricewert's senior employees discussing the configuration of botnets with "bot herders," helping the ISP to control more than 4,500 malicious programs. The company apparently made efforts to shield its clientele and activities by moving IP addresses frequently and by ignoring takedown requests. As a result of the company's illegal activities, the FTC charged Pricewert with the distribution of illegal, malicious, and harmful content."

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