Dozens busted in international malware probe

 More than a half-million computers in over 100 countries were infected by sophisticated malware that lets cybercriminals remotely hijack a computer and its webcam, authorities said Monday as they announced that 97 people suspected of using or distributing the malicious software have been arrested in 16 countries, including the software's owner.

The software, created by an organization called "BlackShades," lets hackers steal personal information, intercept keystrokes and hijack webcams to secretly record computer users. BlackShades also can be used to encrypt and lock computer data files, forcing people to pay a ransom to regain access.

"For just $40, BlackShades' RAT enabled anyone, anywhere in the world, to become a dangerous cyber criminal," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told reporters in Manhattan. He called BlackShades a "frightening form of cybercrime" saying a cybercriminal could buy a $40 malicious program whose capabilities were "sophisticated and its invasiveness breathtaking."

The hacking tool's low cost has boosted its popularity across the hacker underground, where variants have long circulated online.

Authorities said the BlackShades Remote Access Tool or "RAT" has been sold since 2010 to several thousand users, generating sales of more than $350,000. The agency said one of the program's co-creators is cooperating and had provided extensive information.

FBI Agent Leo Taddeo said people who suspect they are BlackShades victims should visit FBI.gov to learn more. The malware affects Microsoft Windows-based operating systems, according to the government’s site.

In a series of raids over two days, police searched 359 homes in 16 countries in Europe and the Americas, according to Eurojust, the EU's judicial cooperation agency. In addition to computer hardware, police in Europe seized cash, illegal firearms and drugs.

A spokeswoman for the FBI said 19 different countries were involved in the investigation.

The crackdown was one of the largest for cybercrime in terms of the number of arrests and countries involved, said Mark Rasch, a former computer crimes prosecutor.

A Swedish man, Alex Yucel, 24, owned and operated BlackShades using the alias "marjinz," according to U.S. authorities, who unsealed charges against him and four others on Monday. Yucel was arrested in November in Moldova and is awaiting extradition.

Yucel ran the organization as a business, paying a marketing director, a website developer and a team of customer service representatives, according to court documents. The group's website included advertisements boasting of its software's capabilities and ease of use.

BlackShades generated more than $350,000 in sales between September 2010 and April 2014, the documents said. It was not clear how much money users of the software may have stolen from their alleged victims.

The BlackShades investigation arose from a different cybercrime sting by the FBI, called "Operation Cardshop," in which authorities created a fake website to entice criminals to buy and sell credit card numbers.

One of the individuals arrested in 2012 as a result of that probe was Michael Hogue, an Arizona man who the FBI said is the co-creator of RAT. Hogue pleaded guilty in 2013 to two computer-related crimes and agreed to cooperate with investigators, providing crucial details about the inner workings of BlackShades, according to court documents unsealed on Monday.

The prosecutor's office said another BlackShades employee, Brendan Johnston, 23, was arrested in California on Monday.

Al Jazeera and wire services