Little sympathy for jailed virus writer
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The jailing for two years of a 22-year-old virus writer in January 2003 represented a dramatic new get-tough policy on computer crime.
The jailing for two years of a 22-year-old virus writer in January 2003 represented a dramatic new get-tough policy on computer crime.
Simon Vallor, a web designer from north Wales, had confessed to writing the Gokar, Admirer and Redesi mass-mailer viruses. The viruses infected 27,000 PCs in 42 countries - not many when compared to the tens of millions of computers infected by the Kournikova worm in 2001. The author of that virus, Dutch programmer Jan de Wit, was ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. And while only one person complained to police about Vallor's code, dozens of people claiming losses of tens of thousands of dollars testified for the FBI in the de Wit case.
In October, de Wit appealed against his sentence - unsuccessfully - for fear the conviction would damage his career. But, as Vallor can now testify, it could have been a lot worse.
Nevertheless, a poll of more than 600 business PC users by Sophos, the UK anti-virus software company, found that 46% felt the punishment was not harsh enough and only 16% felt it was too severe. More than 60% felt a prison term was the most appropriate sentence for anyone who writes and distributes a virus.
Meanwhile, one of the world's most notorious computer criminals, Kevin Mitnick, who served five years in a US prison for wire fraud, computer fraud and intercepting communications, finally completed his probation last month - and celebrated by surfing the web for the first time in eight years. He said he enjoyed visiting web sites about himself but found plug-ins and pop-up ads frustrating. Welcome back to the digital world, Kevin.
