<s>
Blackshades	B-Application
is	O
a	O
malicious	O
trojan	O
horse	O
used	O
by	O
hackers	O
to	O
control	O
infected	O
computers	O
remotely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
malware	O
targets	O
computers	O
using	O
operating	O
systems	O
based	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
the	O
FBI	O
crackdown	O
,	O
Blackshades	B-Application
was	O
sold	O
for	O
US$40	O
on	O
Hack	O
Forums	O
,	O
and	O
reportedly	O
generated	O
US$	O
350,000	O
in	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackshades	B-Application
infects	O
computer	O
systems	O
by	O
downloading	O
onto	O
a	O
victim	O
's	O
computer	O
when	O
the	O
victim	O
accesses	O
a	O
malicious	O
webpage	O
(	O
sometimes	O
downloading	O
onto	O
the	O
victim	O
's	O
computer	O
without	O
the	O
victim	O
's	O
knowledge	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
drive-by	O
download	O
)	O
or	O
through	O
external	B-Device
storage	I-Device
devices	I-Device
,	O
such	O
as	O
USB	O
flash	O
drives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackshades	B-Application
has	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
infect	O
and	O
hack	O
multiple	O
computers	O
from	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
a	O
bait	O
that	O
the	O
hacker	O
can	O
make	O
use	O
of	O
,	O
an	O
improved	O
version	O
of	O
blackshades	B-Application
was	O
released	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
primary	O
version	O
,	O
when	O
hacking	O
organizations	O
like	O
Octagonun	O
and	O
Cyber-Sec	O
,	O
decided	O
to	O
develop	O
special	O
features	O
for	O
coupling	O
to	O
the	O
software	O
such	O
as	O
undetectability	O
,	O
DDoS	O
/	O
TCP	O
Flood	O
,	O
and	O
backdoor	O
persistence	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackshades	B-Application
can	O
reportedly	O
be	O
used	O
remotely	O
to	O
access	O
an	O
infected	O
computer	O
without	O
authorization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackshades	B-Application
allows	O
hackers	O
to	O
perform	O
many	O
actions	O
on	O
an	O
infected	O
computer	O
remotely	O
without	O
authorization	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Access	O
to	O
the	O
webcam	B-Protocol
of	O
the	O
victim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Use	O
the	O
victim	O
's	O
computer	O
as	O
a	O
proxy	B-Application
server	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackshades	B-Application
reportedly	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
by	O
computer	O
hackers	O
with	O
little	O
experience	O
or	O
by	O
script	O
kiddies	O
,	O
hackers	O
that	O
use	O
programs	O
developed	O
by	O
others	O
to	O
attack	O
computer	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackshades	B-Application
can	O
also	O
act	O
as	O
ransomware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hackers	O
using	O
Blackshades	B-Application
can	O
restrict	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
victim	O
's	O
computer	O
and	O
demand	O
a	O
ransom	O
paid	O
to	O
the	O
hacker	O
in	O
order	O
for	O
the	O
restriction	O
to	O
be	O
lifted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
antivirus	B-Application
programs	I-Application
can	O
successfully	O
detect	O
and	O
remove	O
Blackshades	B-Application
,	O
however	O
hackers	O
using	O
the	O
Blackshades	B-Application
software	O
usually	O
avoid	O
detection	O
of	O
Blackshades	B-Application
infections	O
by	O
using	O
software	O
that	O
obfuscates	O
the	O
Blackshades	B-Application
binary	O
to	O
avoid	O
detection	O
by	O
antivirus	B-Application
programs	I-Application
,	O
which	O
the	O
Blackshades	B-Application
organization	O
also	O
sold	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
Blackshades	B-Application
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
Citizen	O
Lab	O
and	O
EFF	O
reported	O
on	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
Blackshades	B-Application
to	O
target	O
opposition	O
forces	O
in	O
Syria	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
,	O
Stefan	O
Rigo	O
from	O
Leeds	O
was	O
given	O
a	O
40-week	O
suspended	O
sentence	O
for	O
using	O
BlackShades	B-Application
against	O
14	O
people	O
,	O
7	O
of	O
whom	O
he	O
knew	O
personally	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hogue	O
,	O
a	O
co-creator	O
of	O
Blackshades	B-Application
,	O
was	O
arrested	O
and	O
indicted	O
on	O
charges	O
under	O
,	O
more	O
commonly	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Computer	O
Fraud	O
and	O
Abuse	O
Act	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
19	O
,	O
charges	O
were	O
laid	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
against	O
five	O
individuals	O
:	O
two	O
men	O
identified	O
as	O
developers	O
of	O
Blackshades	B-Application
and	O
three	O
other	O
men	O
who	O
sold	O
the	O
software	O
or	O
used	O
it	O
to	O
infiltrate	O
other	O
people	O
's	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blackshades	B-Application
sold	O
typically	O
for	O
US$40	O
,	O
and	O
reportedly	O
generated	O
US$	O
350,000	O
in	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
