Security news
Security news30 January 2004
MyDoom-B author beware! Microsoft is after you, Sophos comments
Microsoft has announced that it is offering a $250,000 bounty for the capture of the author of W32/MyDoom-B.
The software giant announced that it will pay the reward for information leading to the arrest and successful conviction of those behind the worm, which attempts to launch a denial of service attack against Microsoft's website.
The reward follows a similar $250,000 reward offered by SCO Group, whose website is targeted with a similar attack by W32/MyDoom-B and its widely encountered predecessor, W32/MyDoom-A.
"This is not the first time Microsoft has offered a significant cash sum for the head of virus writer. Last year they issued bounties for the capture of the authors of the Sobig-F and Blaster worms, and announced they were making a $5 million fund available for rewarding people who inform against, and assist in the conviction of, virus writers," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "The people who create and distribute viruses make the internet worse for everybody who uses it. If anyone has information about those who are behind attacks on the net they should search their conscience and report it to the authorities."
Interestingly, the MyDoom-B worm contains a potential clue. Hidden inside the worm is a line of text which is not displayed by the worm. It reads:
-
(sync-1.01; andy; I'm just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry)
"Is this a clue which might lead to MyDoom-B's author? It's very hard to say. It's possible it has been deliberately left there by the worm's author as a red herring to lead investigators off the scent. Certainly it's a lead which needs to be fully explored by the authorities," continued Cluley.
Individuals with information about the people behind any worm or virus should contact the appropriate computer crime authority in their country. In any of Interpol's 181 member countries, people with information about virus writers can contact their Interpol National Central Bureau or Interpol's international website.
In the past virus writers such as David L Smith, Simon Vallor and Christopher Pile have been sentenced to prison for their activities.
Do you know how many employees are running virtualisation software on their PCs?
