Michael Gurstein on Mon, 27 Jan 2003 01:49:03 +0100 (CET) |
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<nettime> Sources Looking for Motivation of Computer Virus Creators |
Surely there is something quite bizarre about the whole world (well at least the billion or so Internet and related users) being vulnerable to a clever (post?) adolescent's call for attention. Since in fact, there isn't all that much we are going to be able to do to prevent similar behaviours in the future (putting all those with the skill to cause such mayhem on the beach in Guantananmo seems out of the question), maybe more attention should be paid to making the hardware less vulnerable to this kind of attack. MG ------- Forwarded message follows ------- To: MediaMentor Discussion Group <mediamentor@yahoogroups.com> From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@astro.temple.edu> Date sent: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 09:45:03 -0500 (EST) Subject: [MediaMentor] RESOURCES: Sources Looking for Motivation of Computer Virus Creators Send reply to: mediamentor@yahoogroups.com Another round of computer virus attacks is occuring. Headline: Computer virus slows Internet traffic -- Detail Story <http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php? newsId=en16187&F_catID=&f_type=source> Your shorter link is: http://makeashorterlink.com/?G37812A33 SEOUL/LONDON, Jan 25: A rapidly spreading computer worm on Saturday infested networks and bogged down Internet traffic across the globe, crippling online services in one of the world's most wired countries, South Korea. Virus slows web traffic to a crawl Worm effectively shuts down Internet in Asia, Europe, U.S. Reed Stevenson and Kevin Krolicki, with files from Jason Fekete The Ottawa Citizen <http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id=% 7BDF714CEF-8BB2-4D10-9FE8-B4C76E6E26B0%7D> Your shorter link is: http://makeashorterlink.com/?G1A852A33 Computer worm slows global Net traffic By Reuters January 25, 2003, 6:07 PM PT <http://news.com.com/2100-1001-982131.html> update Worldwide Internet traffic suddenly slowed down dramatically for hours on Saturday, after a fast-spreading computer worm clogged pipelines of the global network, officials said. Experts called it the most damaging attack on the Internet in 18 months as networks across Asia, Europe and America were effectively shut down. Even though the worst of the disruptions appeared to have passed by Saturday afternoon, some network disruption was likely to continue until Monday when businesses return to work, experts said. ------------------------- These computer virus attacks are serious international incidents that disrupt communication, research and work around the world. These events lead to a very logical question that was actually asked on another discussion group. My post in answer to that question, in which I tried to locate some explanations for this behavior follows the question. In thinking about this issue as a research topic, one is driven to conclude that the information regarding this issue must be sprarse and speculative. Those who create viruses are either in jail, convicted of the crime, maintaining silence so as not to divulge material that may be used against them in court or out of the public eye, hiding so they will not be arrested for their crime. This would not be a very easy group to interview or study. This grain of salt may be wise to bear in mind in looking at the sources listed below. ------------------------- "can someone please explain to me what possible satisfaction the perpetrators of these viruses can be achieving?" This is an interesting and important question so let's see what we can find. Envy and Destructiveness: Understanding the Impulses Behind Computer Viruses <http://www.ccsr.cse.dmu.ac.uk/conferences/ccsrconf/abstracts/bissett.html> For the Full Version of this Paper and the rest of the Proceedings from ET HICOMP98 Please see Details about the Full Proceedings in Book form. Detecting and Preventing Trojan Horse Attacks <http://www.cccure.org/Documents/HISM/520-522.html> Statement for the Record of Ronald L. Dick, Director National Infrastructure Protection Center Federal Bureau of Investigation on the Issue of Intrusions into Government Computer Networks Before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee Washington, D.C. <http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress01/rondick.htm> MISC> [DUC] INFO/NYT: Cybercrime has Bred a New Kind of Surfer: The Amateur CyberDetective <http://scout.wisc.edu/addserv/NH/00-05/00-05-17/0010.html> Computer Crime Copyright 1999, 2002 by Ronald B. Standler Table of Contents Introduction 1. Unauthorized use of computer Altering Websites Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks 2. Malicious computer programs Common, but Unacceptable, Justifications for Malicious Programs 3. Harassment & Stalking 4. Weak punishment in USA 5. Computer crime statutes in USA 6. Sue criminals in tort Journalists Conclusion <http://www.rbs2.com/ccrime.htm> Internet Besieged : Countering Cyberspace Scofflaws Home > Computers & Internet Books > Web Development > Wired Culture [Book Advertisement With Book Summary] <http://hallinternet.com/wired_culture/385.shtml> Social Implications of Computer Viruses [Virus Writers] [Script Kiddies] [Social Engineering] [Sources] Excerpt Below - Full Text at this URL: <http://www-cse.stanford.edu/classes/cs201/projects-00-01/ viruses/social-implications.html> So Who is the Generic Virus Writer Anyway? In 1994, Sarah Gordon published a groundbreaking paper entitled The Generic Virus Writer.[1] In this paper Gordon attempted to delineate the different categories of virus writers and also apply ethical models to their actions. According to the author, the four main types of virus writers at the time were: The Adolescent Virus writer aged 13-17; has written at least one computer virus; has distributed at least one computer virus into the wild. The College Student Virus writer aged 18-24; has written at least one computer virus; has distributed at least one computer virus into the wild. Student in university or university level classes. The Adult/Professionally Employed Post-college or adult, professionally employed; has written at least one virus; has distributed at least one virus into the wild. The Ex-Virus Writer Virus writer who has written and distributed one or more computer viruses. The viruses must have been found in the wild; the author must have supplied sufficient proof to enable determination that he did indeed write the virus; there must be no evidence that he has written or continued to write viruses for a period of at least 6 months prior to commencement of this research.[2] ----------------------- One can even find a term paper for students who do not want to waste their time writing their own term paper on this topic at this URL: _Computer Crime and Ethics _ <http://essay.studyarea.com/old_essay/Computer/ computer_crime_and_ethics.htm> Your shorter link is: http://makeashorterlink.com/?H3B823A33 ------------------------ "From the gut (and the heart)" Editorials by Paul Olivier Web Attack! <http://www.clear-info.com/Editorials/editorial.html> And here is a print article that may be of interest on this topic: Some human dimensions of computer virus creation and infection. Author: Bissett, Andy.; Shipton, Geraldine. Source: International Journal of Human-Computer Studies v. 52 no. 5 May 2000 p. 899-913 Now folks, remember to take your anti-virus injections so that you do not catch one of these viruses along with a cold. Sincerely, David Dillard Temple University (215) 204 - 4584 jwne@astro.temple.edu --- [ Via / From / Thanks to and / or excerpted from the following : ] Public, keyword searchable archives @ http://www.eGroups.com/list/mediamentor FEEDBACK: mediamentor-owner@yahoogroups.com POST: If subscribed, post to the list @ mediamentor@egroups.com No attachments...... less viruses.... text only please.... No HTML and no RTF from your subscription's e-mail "address" only. 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