3 weeks prior to the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, Microsoft, with help from multiple other telecommunications partners took major action in an attempt to take down Trickbot, “one of the world’s most infamous botnets and prolific distributors of ransomware”. Microsoft obtained a court order from the U.S. District Court in Eastern Virginia, claiming that Trickbot infringes on Microsoft copyright by using software for malicious purposes. Trickbot is primarily considered as a “malware-as-a-service” type of botnet, where although it is possible for Tricknet customers to access affected devices, it is mainly used to deliver other types of malware, especially ransomware. Microsoft’s action has a major impact on multiple U.S. sectors, particularly financial services, as Trickbot infected devices are often used to access and drain the bank accounts of the innocent person using them. It also is a major step forward in stopping ransomware attacks against public sector institutions, such as hospitals. The timing of Microsoft’s action is not a coincidence, as there are many who believe that Trickbot is particularly useful to disrupt elections, as ransomware and on voter rolls and voting report systems can be critical to create chaos in times where there is already distrust in the U.S. voting system.
