Belgian virus writer arrested

Grok Headline matches for Belgian virus writer arrested

Alleged Belgian virus writer arrested

Alleged Belgian virus writer arrested 02/18/2004 10:43 AM
ZDNet Feb 18 2004 1:41PM GMT

Belgian police arrest female virus
writer

Belgian police arrest female virus
writer 02/16/2004 09:29 AM
Gigabyte busted

Belgian teenage hacker arrested, charged
with computer data sabotage

Belgian teenage hacker arrested, charged
with computer data sabotage 02/14/2004 01:29 PM
Canadian Press Feb 14 2004 4:08PM GMT

Catching a Virus Writer

Catching a Virus Writer 06/04/2004 05:57 AM

The Virus Writer And WiFi

The Virus Writer And WiFi 06/02/2004 09:37 PM
Security Focus, which tends to run some great articles, seems to have gotten the WiFi-fear bug all of a sudden. They've written a column, officially called Catching a Virus Writer, which actually just rehashes the fact that a virus writer today just needs to go out, connect to an open WiFi router, release a virus and walk out - and says they will never be caught. This isn't new. People have been talking about it for ages. However, instead of just dredging up the same old argument about what happens when anyone can access WiFi and making people more afraid than they need to be, wouldn't it have been a bit smarter to then take it a step further? The fact that there are open WiFi networks is a fact. It's also not going to change any time soon. The folks who want to remain anonymous for things like virus writing certainly know this - and will continue to take advantage of it. Instead of just getting all worked up about it, how about pointing out the fact that this is why law enforcement needs to learn better methods for tracking down virus writers - and shouldn't just rely on trying to track down where it was released. In fact, at this point, it's unlikely that most attempts to track down viruses bother to look at the technical details of where it was released, because it's likely to be a zombie machine somewhere. Instead, they look for other clues that lead to the culprit - just like normal detectives. Sure, it's completely true that WiFi is open and anyone can access them. The same is true of any retail store's front door. Someone could walk into one of those doors without having to give out their name, steal something and walk out again. Yet, we know this is true, and people tend not to freak out about open doors that don't require identification. They realize they're there for a purpose. Instead, they work on other methods of tracking down people who steal stuff. So, instead of writing up a fear-mongering report about virus writers using WiFi (and actually calling it "how to catch a virus writer"), why not write up a story about methods that really can be used to track down virus writers, such as looking for patterns in the virus that indicate an author or getting his (or her) friends to squeal - just like with regular criminals.

Virus writer resorts to poetry

Virus writer resorts to poetry 04/26/2004 05:13 PM
Sympatico Apr 26 2004 9:42PM GMT

Funds sought to aid virus writer

Funds sought to aid virus writer 05/18/2004 10:17 AM
Donations are being sought to help the man who wrote the Sasser web worm.

Virus Writer Pleads Guilty

Virus Writer Pleads Guilty 08/12/2004 11:33 AM
Wired News Aug 12 2004 3:47PM GMT

Firm justifies job for virus writer

Firm justifies job for virus writer 09/23/2004 07:03 AM
A German computer security firm has defended its decision to hire the self-confessed author of the Sasser worm.

Female Virus Writer Busted

Female Virus Writer Busted 02/19/2004 02:15 PM
techtv Feb 19 2004 6:52PM GMT

Virus writer steals £70,000 in three
days

Virus writer steals £70,000 in three
days 04/14/2005 02:08 AM

Inside The Head Of A Virus Writer

Inside The Head Of A Virus Writer 06/24/2004 02:46 PM
Extreme Tech Jun 24 2004 6:49PM GMT

Hungarian virus writer avoids stir

Hungarian virus writer avoids stir 06/30/2004 11:08 AM
Two years' probation for Laszlo K

Virus writer hides job ad in MyDoom Net
worm

Virus writer hides job ad in MyDoom Net
worm 09/13/2004 04:29 PM
Techzonez Sep 13 2004 7:47PM GMT

European virus writer sentenced to
prison

European virus writer sentenced to
prison 04/12/2005 06:49 PM
Computer Shopper Apr 12 2005 11:07PM GMT

Microsoft: Separate trail led to second
virus writer

Microsoft: Separate trail led to second
virus writer 05/10/2004 06:55 PM
The suspected author of the Agobot program was arrested by German police the same day they nabbed the alleged writer of the Sasser worm. Microsoft says "two different paths led to two different cases."

Germany arrests suspected virus writer

Germany arrests suspected virus writer 05/08/2004 01:20 PM
Sympatico May 8 2004 4:15PM GMT

Virus Writer Hides Job Ad in MyDoom Net
Worm (Reuters)

Virus Writer Hides Job Ad in MyDoom Net
Worm (Reuters) 09/10/2004 10:56 AM
Reuters - Times must be getting tough for computer virus writers.

SCO puts $250,000 bounty on head of
MyDoom virus writer

SCO puts $250,000 bounty on head of
MyDoom virus writer 01/28/2004 11:21 AM
Computer Shopper Jan 28 2004 4:01PM GMT

MSBlast virus writer faces 15 years
behind bars

MSBlast virus writer faces 15 years
behind bars 01/19/2004 10:42 AM
Silicon.com Jan 19 2004 2:23PM GMT

Virus writer purports to show bin
Laden's death

Virus writer purports to show bin
Laden's death 07/23/2004 02:59 PM
Message circulating on the Internet carries a Trojan horse disguised as pictures of the al-Qaida leader committing suicide.

Microsoft's Virus/Worm Writer Bounty
Pays Off?

Microsoft's Virus/Worm Writer Bounty
Pays Off? 05/08/2004 06:43 PM
Techfocus May 8 2004 10:51PM GMT

Venezuela-based computer virus writer
stole US$132,000 in three days

Venezuela-based computer virus writer
stole US$132,000 in three days 04/13/2005 01:43 AM
VHeadline Apr 13 2005 5:46AM GMT

Virus suspect arrested

Virus suspect arrested 05/28/2004 01:56 AM
USA Today May 28 2004 5:46AM GMT

Teenager Arrested over Internet Virus

Teenager Arrested over Internet Virus 05/08/2004 05:11 AM
PA News via The Scotsman Online May 8 2004 9:24AM GMT

German student arrested over computer
virus

German student arrested over computer
virus 05/08/2004 06:43 PM
CTV.ca May 8 2004 11:15PM GMT

Teen arrested over Sasser computer virus

Teen arrested over Sasser computer virus 05/08/2004 10:25 AM
Evening Standard via Drudge Report May 8 2004 2:10PM GMT

belgian pot

belgian pot 01/07/2004 06:54 PM
Belgian drug company to supply dutch medicinal weed.

What Makes A Writer A Writer?

What Makes A Writer A Writer? 04/19/2004 09:41 PM
So You Think You Might Be A Writer? Just because you write? An astute essay by Joseph Epstein poses the uncomfortable question: are you weird enough? There's something very unnatural and unhealthy about writing (as opposed to reading, for instance) - but what is it? [Via Arts and Letters Daily.]

Proximus launches first Belgian 3G

Proximus launches first Belgian 3G 04/09/2004 04:00 PM
DMeurope.com Apr 8 2004 6:41PM GMT

Belgian Group Blog

Belgian Group Blog 12/08/2003 12:01 AM

Speaking of group blogs, a group of Belgian .NET bloggers are doing a group blog.

Mmmm ... Belgian Fries.

Mmmm ... Belgian Fries. 03/14/2003 01:09 PM
Mmmm ... Belgian Fries.

F1: Trulli grabs Belgian pole

F1: Trulli grabs Belgian pole 08/29/2004 05:39 AM
Renault's Jarno Trulli sets pole position in the rain at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Belgian on trial for sex with dogs
(Reuters)

Belgian on trial for sex with dogs
(Reuters) 03/19/2005 02:20 AM
Reuters - A Belgian man on trial for having sex with dogs claims he did it out of compassion for man's best friend, a Belgian paper says.

First Belgian book released under CC
license

First Belgian book released under CC
license 09/21/2004 06:23 AM
Cory Doctorow: Stefan sez, "With Antwerp named as World Book City in 2004, residents and visitors were being invited to create a biography of the city by SMS. On the 19th September, a selection of the submitted impressions have been compiled into a booklet combined with the focus on the different text points and giving an alternative view on Antwerp and its districts. The booklet (in Dutch) is available for download in PDF, plain text and a special version for iPods. By the end of October a complete English translation will be available under the same license: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0"> Link (Thanks, Stefan!)

Microsoft Integrate Belgian eID into MSN
Messenger

Microsoft Integrate Belgian eID into MSN
Messenger 02/01/2005 09:39 PM
Popular messenger resource <a href="http://www.mess.be">Mess.be</a> is reporting that Microsoft will soon announce plans to incorporate the Belgian <a href="http://www.neowin.net/images/news/logos/eid.jpg">eI D system</a> with MSN Messenger. An eID, or electronic ID, gives users a trustworthy way of identifying themselves online and can be used for a variety of means. The eID contains a electronic chip like modern credit cards, and is gradually replacing the existing ID card system in Belgium.

"The eID is gradually replacing traditional identity cards and by December 31st of 2009, all citizens over 12 who reside on the Belgian territory should own the chip-equipped card. Just like the classical ID, the eID contains your photo, surname and first names, sex, nationality, place and date of birth, signature, national number as well as the validity period of the card. But all this information (including the photo) will also be electronically stored."

It's not known exactly how the system will integrate with MSN Messenger; card readers, although the most obvious solution, seem somewhat impractical for home users. The news was announced today by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates who is on a trip to Belgium; Gates is slowly making his way to the European government where he will be meeting with EU representatives to talk about the ongoing case against Microsoft. The eID system in Belgium would appear to offer the kind of solution that Microsoft tried to introduce (but failed) with Passport; it offers a variety of features based around the central idea of a single "sign-on" mechanism.

Gate's hinted at the possibility of other countries adopting a similar system, yet it is not known specifically which. In the UK, where the government has plans to introduce a similar ID card system, the issue is strongly fought against by privacy advocates and is viewed in a poor light by the public.

View: Information on eID | Microsoft

Read full story...

Microsoft Targets Belgian Knock-offs

Microsoft Targets Belgian Knock-offs 05/07/2004 08:34 PM
DVD Recordable May 8 2004 0:28AM GMT

Bill Gates Talks about Belgian eID Card

Bill Gates Talks about Belgian eID Card 02/01/2005 09:02 PM

US, Belgian biometric passports give lie
to UK ID scheme

US, Belgian biometric passports give lie
to UK ID scheme 05/18/2004 12:02 PM
There goes the tech leadership...
Grok Description matches for Belgian virus writer arrested
GrokA matches for Belgian virus writer arrested

Microsoft Creates Anti-Virus Bounty To
Help Track Down Virus Writers

Microsoft Creates Anti-Virus Bounty To
Help Track Down Virus Writers 11/05/2003 10:59 AM
What do you if you're in an unchartered area with no reasonable law enforcement, and criminals are running rampant? You convince everyone to become the "enforcement" arm and find someone rich enough to pay them to help fight crime. Microsoft can't be bothered to fix a few of the holes in their programs that make it incredibly easy to pass on viruses, so instead, they're setting aside $5 million for anti-virus bounty hunters who can track down anyone responsible for worms, trojan horses or viruses. The rewards will be given out in $250,000 wads of cash from Bill Gates wallet increments. So, now, who's going to round up an anti-virus posse?

Virus writers look for work

Virus writers look for work 09/13/2004 08:50 AM

Virus writers in the wild

Virus writers in the wild 04/28/2004 10:29 AM

Virus Writers Stuck In A Rut?

Virus Writers Stuck In A Rut? 11/03/2003 12:21 PM
Anti-virus companies love to get people worked up into a lather about all the virus threats out there, because it helps them sell more product. So, it wasn't much of a surprise that, following the "big" virus and trojan horse problems in August, the anti-virus "experts" started warning that this was just a prelude to something worse, and that we should expect even more virus problems as soon as the current viruses died out. While it is good to keep users vigilant about virus things, these announcements served more to make people ignore the real problem: the anti-virus companies failed. Of course, you don't hear them speaking up now about the fact that their original predictions of "the next wave" of viruses immediately following the last wave appears not to have come true. Especially with the SoBig virus, we were told that the next version was supposed to appear in September sometime, but that never happened. Of course, it's good when we don't have virus outbreaks - and I have no doubt that they will come again - but once again we have a situation where the anti-virus folks seemed to hype things up beyond necessary.

First Thing, We Kill All The Virus
Writers...

First Thing, We Kill All The Virus
Writers... 05/26/2004 07:41 PM
Over at Slate, Steven Landsburg has come up with something of a "modest proposal" that doesn't actually seem all that tongue in cheek where he tries to make an economic argument that we should just kill all virus writers - arguing that this makes more economic sense than killing murderers. He even admits that his numbers are rough estimates, and unfortunately, it looks like he's using some of the hyped up virus damage estimates that have no basis in reality. There are ton of other incorrect assumptions in the piece (including how evenly distributed both the costs and the benefits of getting rid of viruses would be) that make it kind of silly all around. However, Ernest Miller makes the best point when he wonders why Landsburg doesn't advocate killing some of those scamming company executives that have become so popular these days, who, you could argue did a lot more damage. And, that, in general is the problem with this argument. You could find plenty of actions that appear to have "cost" the industry billions of dollars and then suggest we execute those responsible - but it's a narrow view of what factors are actually impacting the "economy" involved. For example, Landsburg leaves out the fact that if we got rid of all the virus writers, it would kill the anti-virus/security industry, which seems to contribute plenty of money to the economy as well. Where Landsburg is right is the importance of trying to quantify the costs and benefits to various actions. However, where he sets a dreadful example is in focusing so narrowly that he doesn't admit that there are other consequences to his proposal that play into those costs and benefits.

Virus writers have a price on their head

Virus writers have a price on their head 11/06/2003 08:51 AM
vnunet.com Nov 6 2003 8:14AM ET

Virus writers winning the war, says
Microsoft

Virus writers winning the war, says
Microsoft 12/04/2003 06:02 PM
Creators of computer viruses are winning the battle with law enforcers and getting away with crimes that cost the global economy some US$13bil (RM49bil) this year, a Microsoft official said Wednesday. David Finn, Microsoft's director of digital integrity for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, cited estimates by BusinessWeek that financial damage this year from bugs like the Blaster worm and the SoBig.F e-mail virus, which crashed systems and disrupted Internet traffic around the world, would total some US$13bil. The cost of protecting networks against such cyberattacks was put at US$3.8bil (RM14.4bil).

The Economics of Executing Virus Writers

The Economics of Executing Virus Writers 05/27/2004 10:35 AM

Strategies to beat the virus writers

Strategies to beat the virus writers 01/16/2004 11:27 AM

Learning From Virus Writers Instead Of
Killing Them

Learning From Virus Writers Instead Of
Killing Them 05/27/2004 12:11 PM
While yesterday we wrote about the econo mic argument for killing virus writers, today, we've got a piece by Michael Schrage discussing th e economics of learning from virus writers. He discusses the difference between "compete with" and "compete against" competition - the first being where the two sides compete in the marketplace to try to offer better and better products (leading to increased value for the consumer) and the second being where (at least) one side tries to compete by killing off the other side (that is, negative value creation). Thus, instead of just trying to kill off virus writers (perhaps both literally and figuratively), we should learn how to compete with them - not against them. That is, even if it's for bad reasons, they are being very innovative in how they go about creating their malware. The trick is to turn that around and use it to build better products that can keep out the malware, rather than focus in on stomping out those behind the attacks.

No Summer Vacation for Virus Writers

No Summer Vacation for Virus Writers 06/28/2004 01:33 PM
A new development in virus evolution reared its ugly head last week.

Virus writers focus on image bug

Virus writers focus on image bug 09/24/2004 05:16 AM
BBC Sep 24 2004 9:33AM GMT

Virus writers have girlfriends -
official

Virus writers have girlfriends -
official 04/15/2005 12:14 PM
And some don't even need inflating

Gizza job, virus writers ask AV industry

Gizza job, virus writers ask AV industry 09/10/2004 01:02 PM
Hidden message in latest MyDoom worm

Sober judgement for virus writers

Sober judgement for virus writers 12/03/2003 12:41 AM
Personal Computer World Dec 3 2003 0:05AM ET

Are Virus Writers Creating a Super Worm?

Are Virus Writers Creating a Super Worm? 06/06/2005 12:13 AM
Virus writers responsible for the recent rash of Mytob worm variants could be working on creating a super worm, a security researcher warns. The "HellBot" group behind the Mytob worms write programming instructions in their code that mirror the way developers work, says Sophos Security Consultant Carole Theriault. "The only conclusion we can come up with is that they are working on a big super worm," Theriault says.

Since its discovery in February, the Mytob mass-mailing worm has spawned dozens of variants, each just slightly different, according to researchers. However, each variant turns off an infected machine's security settings and blocks the user's access to security Web sites, Theriault says. This makes it difficult to get help once a machine has been infected, and Trojan programs accompanying the worms could leave a backdoor open for attack, she says. One recent version included spyware and adware, which could be used to reap monetary benefits, according to U.K. antivirus company Trend Micro.

News source: PCWorld.com

Read full story...

MyDoom Shows Virus Writers New Tricks

MyDoom Shows Virus Writers New Tricks 07/27/2004 06:29 PM
MyDoom.O could not have reached critical mass at a worse time for Google. The high anticipation for its IPO was darkened by the worm's ability to shut down the No.1 search engine temporarily.

The meagre living of Linux virus writers

The meagre living of Linux virus writers 06/17/2005 03:37 PM

Security expert Q&A: The virus writers
are winning

Security expert Q&A: The virus writers
are winning 08/05/2004 09:06 AM

Microsoft Offers Bounty on Virus Writers

Microsoft Offers Bounty on Virus Writers 11/05/2003 10:33 PM

Microsoft offers $500,000 bounty for
virus writers

Microsoft offers $500,000 bounty for
virus writers 11/05/2003 03:36 PM
Irish Times Nov 5 2003 3:20PM ET

Microsoft to Place Bounty on Virus
Writers

Microsoft to Place Bounty on Virus
Writers 11/05/2003 01:23 PM
New York Times Nov 5 2003 11:59AM ET

Microsoft bounty to disrupt virus
writers?

Microsoft bounty to disrupt virus
writers? 11/05/2003 09:24 PM
CNET Nov 5 2003 8:36PM ET

Microsoft Offers A Bounty On Virus
Writers

Microsoft Offers A Bounty On Virus
Writers 11/05/2003 07:32 AM

Microsoft puts bounty on virus writers

Microsoft puts bounty on virus writers 11/05/2003 04:46 PM
ZDNet Nov 5 2003 3:41PM ET

Security expert: Virus writers are
winning

Security expert: Virus writers are
winning 08/07/2004 03:35 AM

Direct and Related Links for 'Security expert: Virus writers are winning'

An interesting interview with the Director of Anti-Virus Research from F-Secure, Mikko Hyppönen. I’m not keen on their products, but I like what he says, especially his response to the question, “What responsibility do ISPs have in protecting these home users in the first place? It’s irresponsible to sell Internet connections without telling the users of the risks. If you go out and buy an (Asymmetric DSL) box and connect it to your computer and…

Virus writers are obsessed
girlfriendless geeks

Virus writers are obsessed
girlfriendless geeks 03/19/2003 10:46 PM

Virus writers hit home PCs as companies
get tough

Virus writers hit home PCs as companies
get tough 09/24/2004 12:05 PM
vnunet.com Sep 24 2004 3:54PM GMT

Microsoft offers $500,000 to catch virus
writers

Microsoft offers $500,000 to catch virus
writers 11/05/2003 05:58 PM
The unprecedented lure of cash was seen as a way to generate new leads for a cyber dragnet aimed at snaring the bug-writers.

Virus writers add network sniffer to
worm

Virus writers add network sniffer to
worm 09/14/2004 07:24 AM
Hybrid risks from potent malware

Belgian virus writer arrested

The following phrases have been identified by the grok system as matching this entry: 29a virus writers