Teen arrested in Blaster virus case

pchang · August 29, 2003, 19:21

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...home-headlines

This guy is incredibly stupid. He got a copy of the virus source and altered it to make a version that would register with his web site. Unfortunately, the cops make an example of this amateur while the real professionals get away.

Oerdin · August 29, 2003, 19:25

History is full of idiots who took the blame.

chequita guevara · August 29, 2003, 19:25

That virus knocked us out at work. Out networks were totally fubared by this thing. Which tells me that our ntwork people haven't been updating the security patches like they should have been.

BustaMike · August 29, 2003, 19:35

People amaze me sometimes. This guy clearly was at least half way intelligent enough to be able to program a little and create a website, but his common sense has gotta be down in the negatives for doing something so idiotic.

Reminds me of the guy that tried to rob a bank by writing a "give me all your money" note on one of his own cheques and then thinking they wouldn't find him

.

pchang · August 29, 2003, 19:41

check out http://www.synctomi.com
Their S2 product would have prevented all worms regardless of what patches were installed.

The Andy-Man · August 29, 2003, 19:43

Quote:

"give me all your money"

Have you seen Woody Allen's 'Take the money and run'?

not quite the same, but almost, and just as funny

pchang · August 29, 2003, 19:46

Actually, you do not have to be too smart to alter existing viruses. The source codes are often available for download from hacker sites and the behavior sections have been modularized to the point that someone with scripting experience and knowledge of the english language (most of this code is written and commented in english) can easily alter them.

The real clever ones are those who find the weakness and write the original exploit code. Those people are almost never caught. They do what they want with it, then release it so others will copy it. It is just one of many ways to cover their tracks.

The Andy-Man · August 29, 2003, 19:48

I think they should just start shooting virus makers and hackers. That should stop em!

Joseph · August 29, 2003, 20:08

Quote:

Originally posted by The Andy-Man
I think they should just start shooting virus makers and hackers. That should stop em!

Or life without P.

The Andy-Man · August 29, 2003, 20:10

P. ?

BustaMike · August 29, 2003, 20:42

Quote:

Actually, you do not have to be too smart to alter existing viruses. The source codes are often available for download from hacker sites and the behavior sections have been modularized to the point that someone with scripting experience and knowledge of the english language (most of this code is written and commented in english) can easily alter them.

Oh, I totally agree. I wasn't saying he was smart. I'm saying that I equate the level of intelligence necessary to change the code (mediocre with a few resources) to easily the level of common sense someone would need to know not write something that says "here I am catch me" (even the smallest bit of common sense will tell you that).

The Mad Monk · August 29, 2003, 20:59

Quote:

Originally posted by The Andy-Man
P. ?

Death by bladder burst.

Joseph · August 29, 2003, 21:06

Quote:

Originally posted by The Andy-Man
P. ?

Parole.

Odin · August 29, 2003, 21:24

Mad Monk accused me as the hacker in another thread.

I don't even know computer code, genius.

MichaeltheGreat · August 29, 2003, 21:29

Quote:

Originally posted by pchang
check out http://www.synctomi.com
Their S2 product would have prevented all worms regardless of what patches were installed.

You work for these guys?

The Mad Monk · August 29, 2003, 21:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Odin
Mad Monk accused me as the hacker in another thread.

I don't even know computer code, genius.

Actually I was calling you fat and ugly, but that's okay.

(that's the "hacker")

The Mad Monk · August 29, 2003, 21:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Joseph
Parole.

I think my interpretation's better.

Odin · August 29, 2003, 21:35

Quote:

Originally posted by The Mad Monk

Actually I was calling you fat and ugly, but that's okay.

I'm over-weight, but he looks like he weighs 300 lbs.

alva · August 29, 2003, 22:13

Is that Uber???

j/k

pchang · August 29, 2003, 23:42

I do some consulting for them. I'm helping them write up some patent applications.

blackice · August 30, 2003, 00:14

pchang impressive company and hey MS obviously can not do it. Big bucks stick with it, that's exactly what I am doing....

pchang · August 30, 2003, 00:32

When you get married and have a kid, you've got to stop living on the edge. Turn your powers toward good instead of evil.

blackice · August 30, 2003, 00:39

Heh learn evil to combat evil, Seimens in Ontario is having a competition this weekend... Crack thier new security and win $15,000 free t3 internet for life and a 120 gig server for life.....

Turning to evil half these evil's will get jobs, kids unknown....

pchang · August 30, 2003, 00:46

Those cracking competitions represent unrealistic scenarios. People don't bust throught the firewall because the firewall is weak. People bust through because the server app behind the firewall is weak or they find a way to go around the firewall completely. These contests are just for the publicity. They have no relation to real life use.

MrFun · August 30, 2003, 03:10

What ever happened to the constitutional right to destroy or damage other people's electronic property?

:) Smiley · August 30, 2003, 03:57

Let's throw them out of helicopters

The Mad Monk · August 30, 2003, 07:06

Nah. Let's throw them into helicopters.

Wraith · August 30, 2003, 09:25

--"I do some consulting for them. I'm helping them write up some patent applications."

Maybe you can recommend they hire someone to help write up their web pages, then. Their technology may or may not be good, but with the kind of language they're using to pimp it I'd never bother actually getting a sample to find out.

Now, I think what they're selling is just a proxy server. No big deal, one way or another. But they try to make it sound like they've found the Holy Grail of network security (it already exists; it's called "wire cutters"). What they're doing isn't really new (Symantec's Raptor firewall, as an example, has been around quite a while). Their main selling point doesn't sound much (if any) different from IEEE 802.1x.

They also don't seem familiar with the concept of VLANs...

Wraith
Looking for love on all the wrong planets

LaRusso · August 30, 2003, 09:49

I say shoot them all. i had to reinstall my xp coz of the msblast.

pchang · August 30, 2003, 17:19

Yes. All Marketing Hype starts to sound alike after a while. But, the reality is that the technology is different from existing firewalls and VLANs. However, it doesn't do anything that you could not currently do with a combination of other products and the proper configuration. It just does it with one box which makes it easier (in many cases cheaper too), especially if you need to beef up an existing network.