Security news
Security news20 February 2001
Sophos Anti-Virus says Kournikova worm author should not be rewarded
SYDNEY - The mayor of the Dutch town that spawned the Anna Kournikova computer worm (also known as VBS/SST-A) has reportedly made a tentative job offer to the virus author.
Newspapers this weekend reported that Mayor Sieboldt Hartkamp was pleased with the attention the Kournikova worm had brought the Dutch town of Sneek.
Hartkamp was reported as referring to the Kournikova worm outbreak which infected hundreds of thousands of computers as a "joke", and said of its author: "It is obvious that the young man is very capable and it is in our interest to employ people like him in our information technology department."
The mayor went on to say that he would be prepared to offer the author a "serious interview" once his studies were completed.
Mayor Hartkamp's comments parallel many made in the Philippines where the author of the infamous Love Bug became a national celebrity and received many job offers from software companies.
"Virus writers are like fire bugs," Richard Baldry, Managing Director of Sophos Australia, says. "They irresponsibly and deliberately throw a lighted match into the bush area without considering the consequences -- or caring about them. A bush fire often results.
"Are these really the kind of people you would want to hire to work in the fire brigade?"
In Taiwan,Chen Ing-Hau, the author of the highly damaging W95/CIH-10xx virus, was employed by a software company who astonishingly issued a press release about having headhunted the virus writer.
"Instead of society applauding virus writers, it's time for us to teach youngsters that the damage caused by virus distribution is not only anti-social but a criminal offence in many countries," Baldry says.
"It isn't cool and it isn't clever. People who distribute viruses and worms cost companies considerable money, and make computing less fun for all of us."
In reality, it appears that like many virus authors, the author of the Kournikova worm is not "very capable". He has shown little programming knowledge, and used a simple virus construction kit to help him create his 'malware', Baldry says.
About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
