Microsoft Reward Snags Suspected Sasser Author

[TCH-Dick]

Microsoft's $5 million fund for rewarding informants for leads on virus attacks has snagged its first success with the arrest of a man in Germany who has confessed to the release of the Sasser worm, the software giant said Saturday.

 

http://news.com.com/2100-7349_3-5208762.html

[Deverill]

Woooooohooooo!!!!!!

 

 

Where do we sign up for the wet-noodle lashing squad?

Edited May 9, 2004 by TCH-Jim

[hindixp]

Wild fantasy: How would the informants Spend this amount

[Deverill]

I read in an SEO forum a question about whether they should slam the jerk to make a point or let him off with a scare because he's a kid.

 

First, he's 18 so he's no kid. Even if he was 16, though, I am reminded of the RIAA lawsuits against college kids for downloading a couple dozen songs to "make a point". If they do that, and the courts support them, then compare the damage Billy does to Aerosmith by downloading their Greatest Hits album versus what this one worm has done and tell me with a straight face he should be let off because he's "learned his lesson!"

 

Many things need to be done, but I say that one is to send the message we as a society dependant upon our computers won't accept this sort of nonsense... especially considering the hard cost of the disruptions!

[TCH-Bruce]

I say make an example out of him. Put him in jail to rot!

[Ninepatch]

Right - let's just scare little Willie, give him a slap on the wrist and send him home with Mom and Dad who probably haven't the slightest idea of what he was up to in the first place, much less how to keep him from doing it again. Won't he have a grand time laughing it up with his buddies over this one, and wondering how long before he can do it again.

 

I don't know anything about European law, but here in the States he's committed the equivalent of a Federal offense. No, I don't think he needs to be tossed away in prison to rot, what will that accomplish? Several years supervised service teaching underprivileged or learning disabled individuals basic computing skills, without compensation, would fit the bill for me. I'd probably also be up for removing Internet access from his home for the duration of his sentence. If he, Mom or Dad don't want to go along with it, then yes, incarceration commensurate with a financial crime of this degree is more than fair.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

[TCH-Rob]

No, I don't think he needs to be tossed away in prison to rot, what will that accomplish

 

Getting more of my money to support another person in jail. He should get some jail time and then have to perform community service related to his crime. The length of service should be determined by the amount of monetary damage caused. For each hour of community service it should equal the minimum wage that one can get in their respective country, so lets say it is $6 an hour in your country and you did $6 million in damages then you have to give 6 million hours of your time. This must be done in 5 years and if one can not complete it then you are sent to a penal mining colony on the moon.