Abstract

This talk concerns the methodology, techniques and experiences of tracking and ultimately exposing the workings of the Russian Business Network (RBN).

According to many within the Internet Security arena RBN is a Russian Internet Service Provider based in St. Petersburg which is notorious for its hosting of illegal and dubious businesses, including; child pornography, phishing, spam bot operation, and malware distribution sites. Despite more recent public awareness the RBN is still an excellent example of a covert criminal community with no known leadership or physical locations.

The author in collaboration with several other researchers approached the task from an alternative perspective. This was to study the RBN from an organizational and business perspective, investigate and uncover its nodes of operation, its necessary interaction with its victims and clients. The question now remains; knowing and exposing RBN is a useful objective but surely the main goal is to stop them?