Microsoft admits to technical error in IP takeover, but No-IP still down

Microsoft admitted it made a technical error after it commandeered part of an Internet service's network in order to shut down a botnet, but the Nevada-based company says its services are still down.

A federal court in Reno granted Microsoft an ex-parte restraining order that allowed it to take control of 22 domains run by No-IP, a DNS (Domain Name Service) provider owned by Vitalwerks, which was served the order.

Microsoft alleged the domains were being abused by cyber criminals to manage and distribute malware.

It was the tenth time Microsoft has turned to the courts to take sweeping action against botnets, or networks of hacked computers. Although No-IP was not accused of wrongdoing, Microsoft maintained the company had not done enough to stop abuse on its networks.

Microsoft's intention by seizing the domains was to block only the computers using No-IP's services that were being used as part of a botnet. But "due to a technical error, however, some customers whose devices were not infected by the malware experienced a temporary loss of service," according to an email statement from David Finn, executive director and associate general counsel of Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit. He claimed that No-IP's services were restored at 6 a.m. Pacific Time on July 1. No-IP spokeswoman Natalie Goguen wrote via email that Microsoft made a technical change the following day to forward legitimate traffic back to No-IP, but "it didn't do anything."