Microsoft offers reward for net virus author
Microsoft has offered to pay $US250,000 ($A328,882.46) to anyone who helps authorities find and prosecute the author of a fast-spreading computer virus.
The cash reward is the third so far under a $US5 million ($A6.58 million) program Microsoft announced in early November to help US authorities catch authors of unusually damaging Internet infections aimed at consumers of the company's software products. The MyDoom.B virus, spread by e-mail, causes victims to launch an electronic attack starting Tuesday against Microsoft's own Web site, and prevents victims from visiting the Web sites of leading antivirus companies. The virus poses as an authentic-looking error message. Among the only clues to the identity of the possible author was a mysterious message inside the virus, "Andy, I'm just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry." "This worm is a criminal attack," said Brad Smith, Microsoft's senior vice president and general counsel. "Microsoft wants to help the authorities catch this criminal." Microsoft urged anyone with information about the author of the MyDoom.B virus to contact the FBI, Secret Service or Interpol. The company targeted by an earlier version of the same virus, The SCO Group Inc., previously offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the creator of the Mydoom.A version, which is more widespread. Experts have said the same person probably created both versions. Government officials and others have described the $250,000 rewards as the highest in recent memory funded entirely by the private sector - akin to cash bounties paid in the late 1800s by Western banks to vigilantes who hunted robbers. Internal FBI documents, obtained by The Associated Press, indicate the government is a cautious supporter of Microsoft offering cash bounties. FBI officials in October gave conditional approval to Microsoft for the concept. But they cautioned that they won't share secret details of any investigation with Microsoft executives and won't promise to launch any formal investigation whenever the company announces a reward. In the documents, obtained under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, the FBI said it was developing "a more formal operating protocol for working with Microsoft" and with other companies that want to offer similar rewards.
Reproduced from an article published by The Age
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