Blaster Worm Kid Caught
 

I came across this article and thought all you computer geeks might be interested:p

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...rnet_attack_16

I like this part:
<blockquote><i>Parson apparently took few steps to disguise his identity. As a byproduct of each infection, every victim's computer sent signals back to the "t33kid.com" Web site that Parson had registered in his own name, listing his home address in Minnesota.

[...]

By midday Friday, hours after Parson's arrest, professional virus-hunters across the Internet were slapping their foreheads in frustration that nobody figured out the clues earlier.</i></blockquote>

Personally, I feel bad for the kid. He certainly doesn't deserve to have his life destroyed.

Oh, I guess this guy didn't actually write the original virus. He only released slightly modified versions.

What does he deserve? I'm not a proponent of vigilante justice, but damn, no virus author (or adapter in this case) better ever show up at my office. The virus may have ben benign to the extent that it didn't actually damage any data, but it and its ilk created a shitload of extra work for a lot of people.

Juju, you're a warm and wonderful human being and I love you as much as Dave will allow. BUT, I'm having a hard time with this.
This scumbag, piece of shit, mother fucker doesn't deserve to have his life ruined? If his life, is indeed ruined, which I didn't see any indication of in the article, who's responsible? His parents? The school system? Society? It couldn't be HIMSELF.
He's 18 years old. Why when I was 18, I was responsible for everything, in 3 feet of snow, up hill, both ways.
This guy had what, 7 or 8 computers and modified this virus, so I'd assume he's more than a little familiar with the cyber world and the consequences of his actions on others.
Why? As I just pointed out, not because he wasn't cyber savy. That leaves me the only other reason that comes to mind. Now I could be wrong, but IMHO he just DIDN'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK about anybody else. How much grief or cost to anyone else never crossed his mind because he was doing his own thing.
We're not talking about a double parker or the kids with the boom box blocking the sidewalk, although it's a symtom of the same attitudes. And I for one am sick and tired of it.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to the post on castration.

Based on what I've read, he just sounds like a wannabe hacker copycat turd.

Oooh! What he's charged with is under the Patriot Act! Sucks to be him!

I did some cracking as a kid. I had back doors to our entire academic computing system in college. A couple of us did and we shared each other's work and added to it. This is the same as kids who, before the computer era, would tinker around with locks to figure out how they work. We knew that what we were doing is illegal, BUT, we also knew where the line into immoral was, and we never crossed it. Mess up other people's systems, steal their data, ruin their work, you must be punished.

Don't forget NO coat or boots, either Brucey:p

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Heh, you've got it backwards Bruce. The harm he did not only mattered, it was the point.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This jerk was intentionaly causing others harm. On a large scale. I don't know that he deserves to get bent over by Bubba, but he certainly needs to have his life ruined. That's the only chance he has of picking up the pieces and doing something better with it. I don't think a hug is going to make him rethink his direction in life.

Which begs the question at what point does hacking become illegal. The top security people (I suspect) were hackers. Therefore they would be good security people. But does one need to preform illegal activities to learn computer security? At what point - what is the prerequisite - that makes hacking illegal verse legal and educational?

Just remember, no means no.:D

I had to spend time going to a friend's business, removing Blaster, and installing updates to software to prevent it. I also had to do the same to my six computers at home. I think the kid at least needs to pay me for my time. Let's see, about five hours at $1,000.00 per hour....

Probably not that much more than his legal fees are going to run, the dumbshit.

OK, $5,000 minus the $3 in his savings leaves...uh...do you need your lawn mowed?;)

There's no way you just accidentally do what he's done. "I accidentally wrote a virus, registered a domain to my name, and had the virus call home to it." Criminal, irresponsible, and really dumb.

His punishment should be to have Kevin Mitnick beat him with an IBM M-model keyboard.

Nah, man. For the pain in the ass he's been, even writing a variation... they oughta deport him to China and put him on trial there. (Tip Of The Day: they impose capital punishment for "hackers".)

I don't care if you're fat, socially awkward and have no friends. There are some things that aren't excusable. He can rot in a fucking prison cell with the rest of the assholes that do their best to make life hard for the rest of us.

When I saw the kid's pic my first thought was "There's a kid who ate lunch alone in the cafeteria..."

(and had stupidly overindulgent parents ... SEVEN computers?)

The suspect speaks.

Now let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe he shook down kids for lunch money or stole them. You can't blame his parents just because they didn't happen to notice 7 computers sitting around.:haha: You know how messy teenagers are.

I have noticed that teens today have something that we never had when we were kids ... privacy.

What is with that ... the fear of getting our rooms tossed by mom was what kept many of us either totally straight, or totally sneaky.

The CIA could learn a lot about undetectable searches from old-style moms.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hmm, according to the family they didn't have seven computers. I kind of blew this off at first but now it's getting interesting.

I wonder if, being a nerd, he had piles of old component pieces piled up and the feds called each piece of memory a computer? there is plenty of people upgrading and dumping old PC's that nobody wants. :confused:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, again, according to the family he wasn't some hardcore compu-geek. He even said his computer was a "piece of junk". If that's even half-accurate then I doubt he had all these computers. Also, the media might take it in the ass a bit, as his driving was referenced and he didn't even have a license. We'll see how much of the early reports were accurate as time goes on.

His family looks like the "inbred Jed's" for one. Just because they say he isn't a "hardcore compu-geek" doesn't mean he isn't. Anyone who can write a variation of a virus and send it out is at least a "semi-hardcore compu-geek". His "piece of junk" computer is probably way better than my "piece of shit" computer. Oh...and I know of tons of kids that drove a car before they had a license, myself included. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the media is the most wonderful thing since sliced bread, but I don't think this kid's poor-pitiful-me shit is going to fly very far. Sure, he may not be the "big fish", but there is no question that he did send out the variant worm. Therefore, he should suffer the consequences and pay for his crime.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As I said previously in this thread, the jerk should have his life ruined over this. Nail him to the wall.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now to reiterate the point of the last couple of posts, there's a clash of stories here. If he was regularly driving recklessly without a license then all the 'scared neighbors' would have to do is take a pic of him behind the wheel. Bang, proof he was driving. If this family can't afford to go to Seattle for the trial how the hell did they afford seven computers, just for the kid? Or even four around the house for that matter? The number seven came from the feds, by the way, not the media. So, even if Bruce is accurate in them calling "pieces of memory" a computer, it'll be a point of contention in court. If the dude and his family is lying then that'll come back too.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So, as I said, this is finally getting interesting.

It looks like they're talking 10 years max, and a fine of up to $250,000. To answer your question, Steve, I think 1 or 2 years would be much more fair. Sure, it created a bunch of extra work for a whole lot of people, but it didn't destroy anyone's life.

(Yes, yes, I know you all disagree vehemently. :) )

I think that the results of his actions are very relevant, and that his actual intent isn't. Isn't that how our legal system is supposed to work?

How much did people really suffer? For me, he wasted two hours of my life. At most, it ruined someone's day or week. Even if you were extra busy all week, does that justify ruining someone's life?

Computers are obviously something he loves doing. Did any of the victims have a part of their life that they love taken away from them?

In this case, the repercussions of his actions were very bad -- he eliminated a life. The punishment you suggest is what I'm arguing for: Fair punishment.

I'm betting if he spends a year or two in jail he won't do it again. But if you lock him away forever, there will always be people who write worms and viruses.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Actually, you suggested a couple of years with Bubba. I think I have to draw the line there, yeah he intended finacial harm, and chaos, but how does that make him deserving of being raped?
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I think the guy should go to jail and have to start his adult life when he gets out. He'll have the criminal record for life. He's never getting out from under this. He's screwed, and from a non-literal stand point I'm good with that.

Update -- this kid pleaded not guilty to damaging a computer. The article doesn't say much else, but this is interesting:

If non-conformity is your thing, fine. But there are times when maybe it'd be a good idea to put on some nice clothes and get a haircut, and when you're facing 10 years in prison, maybe that's one of those times.

The funny thing is, I bet he wouldn't go to a job interview like that.

Extremely well pub, Tob. :)

I bet he wouldn't go to a job interview period:3eye:. Well, the story says he is allowed to leave home for work and school, but where's work, Burger King? Not that there's anything wrong with Burger King:rolleyes:

hell, he'll probably wind up working for the CIA....:mad: :whofart:

yeah, it definitely bites the big one. then again, maybe he'll wind up being the new clerk in the 24 hour newstand b/c that's the only slime that would hire him....