FTC Seeks to Halt Spam ‘Zombies’

Computer users who unwittingly send out spam e-mail should be disconnected from the Internet until their machines are fixed, the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday.

The FTC said it would ask 3,000 Internet providers to make sure that spammers who want to cover their tracks haven’t hijacked customers’ computers.

Online viruses like “SoBig” turn infected computers into spam-spewing “zombies” that send out unwanted messages without the owner’s knowledge.

Because many home users lack the technical smarts to fight the problem on their own, the FTC hopes their Internet providers will help, although they are not required to do so.

Most U.S. Internet providers already have taken the steps outlined in the FTC’s letter, said Dave McClure, president of the U.S. Internet Industry Assn.