$80,000,000+damage...

jeffyboyjeffyboy
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/internet/05/01/melissa.virus.ap/index.html"; target="_blank">Story</a>



The creator of the Mellisa virus got a $5,000 fine and 20 months in prison.



This seems a little slap-on-the-wristish to me.



Jeff



Edit:fixed link



[ 05-02-2002: Message edited by: jeffyboy ]</p>

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Good.



    I think a slap-on-the-wrist is a perfectly fine judgment. I don't blame the virus or its creator; I blame Microsoft and its software for letting things like this through day after day after day...
  • Reply 2 of 5
    cdhostagecdhostage Posts: 1,038member
    What he should have done is mail a message with the vulnerbility to EVERY SINGLE admin in the country.

    Their combined compaints to Microsoft would have changed it.

    Or, he could have mailed a short weet message saying I'm making a virus and here's how it works. I'm releasing it in 2 weeks. Write a fix for it or it will all be your fault.



    And he should have covered his tracks better. Like, go to a public library in another state with the virus on a disk, use their computers to access a new virgin account with no connection to you, and then post the virus.
  • Reply 3 of 5
    eskimoeskimo Posts: 474member
    [quote]Originally posted by starfleetX:

    <strong>Good.



    I think a slap-on-the-wrist is a perfectly fine judgment. I don't blame the virus or its creator; I blame Microsoft and its software for letting things like this through day after day after day...</strong><hr></blockquote>



    So if you have a shoddy lock on your house its ok for me to enter and read your private files and steal your belongings, maybe if i'm feeling especially moody kill you? If I did that I should be let off with a slap on the wrist and the blame should go on the lock company right?
  • Reply 4 of 5
    jeffyboyjeffyboy Posts: 1,055member
    There are people that expose security holes in benevolent ways and get results, I imagine it's easier today than even a couple years ago.



    But I really doubt this guy's intent was to improve Windows.



    I don't know what the appropriate punishment is, but this seems too little.



    Jeff



    [ 05-03-2002: Message edited by: jeffyboy ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 5
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    [quote]Originally posted by Eskimo:

    <strong>So if you have a shoddy lock on your house its ok for me to enter and read your private files and steal your belongings, maybe if i'm feeling especially moody kill you? If I did that I should be let off with a slap on the wrist and the blame should go on the lock company right?</strong><hr></blockquote>Oooh, here we go with the analogies. C'mon... you should know that all analogies are inherently flawed.



    First of all, I have more than just a lock on my house. Similarly, I've got a firewall on my computer and don't have my apps configured by default to open anything that is sent to them. I've got the deadbolts and then I've got the motion-sensitive security system on my house... but all this is irrelevant.



    That said, a proper analogy would be like if someone ran up and smashed into my doorbell and it got stuck, skyrocketing my electric bill and preventing me from using my major appliances, and if one of my neighbors had a similarly defective doorbell it would spontaneously start ringing when it heard mine and the cycle would repeat. Would I be mad at the guy at the door? Yeah, but I'd be a lot angrier at the power company and doorbell manufacturer.







    Anyway, I agree with cdhostage that spreading this virus was not a smart move. Notify someone of the vulnerability first and if nothing is done, spread it.



    "Evil Rogue Moderator" indeed. I ph33r j00r ub3r1337 AMD b0x0r! :eek:



    [ 05-03-2002: Message edited by: starfleetX ]</p>
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