More than 100 people worldwide have been arrested following an FBI-led crackdown on hackers linked to a remote administration tool called Blackshades.
According to Time magazine the raids took place in more than a dozen countries, and involved law enforcement agencies in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. According to the UK's National Crime Agency, 17 of those arrested were based in Britain.
Blackshades, Known as a RAT or backdoor, and other software like it allows attackers to remotely seize control of a users' computer, turning on webcams, stealing passwords and personal information, and launching further attacks on other computers. The software itself is not illegal, and can be bought for as little as $40, but installing it on a victim's computer without their knowledge is against the law in most countries.
