Re: What is the motivation for Virus Writers?

From: Trevor (sales_at_logicians.com)
Date: 12/15/03 

Date: 15 Dec 2003 00:11:04 -0800

"Robert Moir" <bofh@mvps.org> wrote in message news:<#DhM9cmwDHA.1744@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl>...
> Trevor wrote:
> > I have just finished paying to get my PC cleaned after the W32 Blaster
> > Worm infected it.
> >
> > I am wondering why people write viruses at all. What is the motive?
> >
> > I heard it is an intellectual challenge trying to break systems. But
> > what is the challenge in hurting a home PC, or someone with a small
> > business? I cannot understand the reason for attacking ordinary people
> > who are just trying to make a living.
> >
> > Terrorists attack ordinary people because they are "soft targets" or
> > easy to kill and hurt. They rarely attack soldiers and police
> > officers.
> >
> > If virus writers attack us because we are easy targets, then surely
> > that defeats the point of the challenge.
>
> There are as many different reasons as there are different writers. Some
> people write for the challange of writing self-replicating code, others to
> solve a problem or to test a theory, still others to see something they
> created get in the news, and yet others may intend harm to someone's
> computer.
>
> Very few of those people i've spoke to want to cause harm to others. In the
> past certainly though maybe not as much today, lots of the big name viruses
> didn't do anything but spread, and any harm caused was not intended or
> anticipated by the author.
>
> Personally, I don't see a problem with writing a virus. After all, if we
> allow people freedom of speech & expression then that means they might
> sometimes say things we don't like. Thats a price we pay for having that
> freedom. My only problem is with virus authors who write a virus then set
> about releasing it into the wild afterwards.
>
> And lets get some perspective on this; you compare virus writing to
> terrorism. We know that international terrorism has killed far too many
> people over the years. Tell me: How many people have computer virus authors
> killed?

The parallel is that victims are people who have no power at all in
both cases. We have lived with terror in the UK for decades with the
IRA (although now there is almost peace in Ireland). The IRA lost
support because it rarely attacking military, but normally civilians
in clubs, etc, or businesses (eg offices). They were called "soft
targets" instead of "hard targets."

I cannot change XP, so why attack my PC and cost me $200 and a lot of
trouble?

>
> --

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