First botnet creator will be released from imprisonment

It was announced that a hacker, who confessed he had created one of the world's first botnets won't spend any time in prison, as he provided assistance to prosecutors.

Jason Michael Milmont, 20, was sentenced to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, as he admitted to have created the Nugache Worm that generated one of the first botnets, according to security researcher Dave Dittrich. The peer-to-peer mechanism became a break-through as it eliminated the need for a single master control channel.

Furhtermore, it was revealed that Milmont used AOL instant messenger and modified Limewire installation programs to spread Nugache. According to a plea agreement penned by Milmont, he used the botnet to mount distributed denial-of-service attacks against an unnamed online business located in the Los Angeles area, as well.

However, the sentence Milmont was about to face was “exchanged” for help he provided to prosecutors since having pleaded guilty. “This young man has quite a bit of talent and we asked that he turn that talent toward good,” said John Powell, a spokesman for the US Attorney's office in Cheyenne.