The newest version of the Zeus crimeware kit comes with Microsoft-like product activation requirements.

"The newest version with bare-bones capabilities starts at $4,000 and additional features can fetch as much as $10,000," writes The Register's Dan Goodin. "The new feature is designed to prevent what Microsoft refers to as 'casual copying' by ensuring that only one computer can run a licensed version of the program. After it is installed, users must obtain a key that's good for just that one machine."

"The hardware-based licensing system isn't the only page Zeus creators have borrowed from Microsoft," Goodin writes. "They've also pushed out multiple flavors of the package that vary in price depending on the capabilities it offers. Just as Windows users can choose between the lower-priced Windows 7 Starter or the more costly Windows 7 Business, bot masters have multiple options for Zeus."

Click here to read the article at The Register.