Microsoft holds botnet summit

Microsoft is hosting an unusual summit of security experts to discuss the growing malevolence of botnets, zero-day exploits and rootkits. Scheduled to be held on its campus on 24 and 25 January behind closed doors, the meeting will outline intelligence gathered by the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) on trends in malware and its distribution channels.

The main topic of discussion will be the increasingly integrated nature of security threats that include botnet-directed spam, infection through software vulnerabilities including zero-day holes, and hard-to-detect rootkits and Trojans.

All attendees, including those from rivals companies, have been invited by name, but present a good cross-section of security expertise. Beyond Security has reported that those in attendance will include Alex Shipp of MessageLabs, Arbor Network’s Joe Nazario, Dave Jevans of the anti-phishing working group (APWG) and the head of US-CERT, Jerry Dixon.