Virtually every time we remove a virus from someone’s computer, the question “Why would anyone write a virus?” comes up. Well, some insight into this idea has recently arrived. The eighteen year old author of 29 versions of Netsky and 3 versions of Sasser (whose name won’t get repeated here to keep that person’s name out of print/distribution) is, apparently, an otherwise normal teenager. In fact this person originally became interested in writing code that would spread faster than the first mydoom virus and actually eradicate mydoom from a person’s system. The problem with that idea is that such code is by definition is a virus. As this person was writing the different versions of Netsky, they found the discussion regarding embedded Russian text found in the virus code and speculation regarding its possible Eastern European origins amusing to the point that “They died laughing.” It turns out that the culprit was turned in by a classmate due to Microsoft’s $250,000 reward offer. It just goes to show that virus writers don’t make money writing virus code, but their friends might.
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