tsquared
06-16-2004, 07:02 PM
Virus News Flash - Microsoft Corp.'s Bounty Program Snags Author Of Sasser Worm
In November 2003, Microsoft Corp. launched an Anti-virus Reward Program, (initially funding it with five million dollars) to be used as bounty money for people who offered information leading to the arrest and conviction of creators of e-mail viruses and worms. Well, apparently money talks.
Last month, informants tipped off Microsoft officials in Germany with the name of the author of the Sasser worm. Microsoft Corp. then worked with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service and German officials. The end result? Less than a week after the release of the Sasser worm, German authorities arrested an eighteen-year-old high school student suspect, named Sven Jaschan, who lives at home with his parents near the small German hamlet of Rotenburg. (Not surprisingly, he was sitting at his computer at the time of the arrest.) Jaschan confessed to German officials that he did in fact create the Sasser worm along with its four variants. Investigators said Jaschan's confiscated computer contained source code from the Sasser worm.
Additionally, authorities believe Jaschan to also be the author of the Netsky worm (and its 28 variants) which was released in February 2004. One of the latest Netsky variants stated in its source code, in part, "Hey AV (anti-virus) firms, do you know that we have programmed the Sasser virus?!? Yeah, that's true ..."
Jaschan is being investigated on suspicion of computer sabotage, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The Sasser worm attacks Windows 2000 and Windows XP machines through the port vulnerability discussed in Microsoft's Security Bulletin it posted on its website back on April 13, 2004. If you run either Windows 2000 or Windows XP on your computer and have yet to download this free security patch, do so immediately at:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-011.mspx
Symptoms of an infection include the continual crashing and rebooting of your computer system. If you believe that the Sasser worm has already infected your computer, go to the following Microsoft web page for assistance:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/sasser.asp
A note of irony -- The mother of the eighteen-year-old high school student suspect runs a computer store in the small town of Waffensen, Germany. No doubt he was sent to bed early without supper
In November 2003, Microsoft Corp. launched an Anti-virus Reward Program, (initially funding it with five million dollars) to be used as bounty money for people who offered information leading to the arrest and conviction of creators of e-mail viruses and worms. Well, apparently money talks.
Last month, informants tipped off Microsoft officials in Germany with the name of the author of the Sasser worm. Microsoft Corp. then worked with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service and German officials. The end result? Less than a week after the release of the Sasser worm, German authorities arrested an eighteen-year-old high school student suspect, named Sven Jaschan, who lives at home with his parents near the small German hamlet of Rotenburg. (Not surprisingly, he was sitting at his computer at the time of the arrest.) Jaschan confessed to German officials that he did in fact create the Sasser worm along with its four variants. Investigators said Jaschan's confiscated computer contained source code from the Sasser worm.
Additionally, authorities believe Jaschan to also be the author of the Netsky worm (and its 28 variants) which was released in February 2004. One of the latest Netsky variants stated in its source code, in part, "Hey AV (anti-virus) firms, do you know that we have programmed the Sasser virus?!? Yeah, that's true ..."
Jaschan is being investigated on suspicion of computer sabotage, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The Sasser worm attacks Windows 2000 and Windows XP machines through the port vulnerability discussed in Microsoft's Security Bulletin it posted on its website back on April 13, 2004. If you run either Windows 2000 or Windows XP on your computer and have yet to download this free security patch, do so immediately at:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-011.mspx
Symptoms of an infection include the continual crashing and rebooting of your computer system. If you believe that the Sasser worm has already infected your computer, go to the following Microsoft web page for assistance:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/sasser.asp
A note of irony -- The mother of the eighteen-year-old high school student suspect runs a computer store in the small town of Waffensen, Germany. No doubt he was sent to bed early without supper