DHS, Commerce pushing for voluntary botnet notification

The U.S. Commerce and Homeland Security departments are seeking public feedback on a recommended program by which internet service providers would "voluntarily and timely detect and notify end-users that their machines have been infected," a move designed help eradicate botnets. According to a notice posted this week in the Federal Register, the agencies are weighing how such an approach would be implemented, for example, incentives may be offered to service providers that participate, and who would be responsible for running the program – industry, the public sector or a partnership between both. Public comments, which must be received by Nov. 4, are expected to examine a number of areas, including the privacy implications of such an approach.

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