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| Europe |
| Firm justifies job for |
| 2004-09-26 |
| A German computer security firm has defended its decision to hire the self-confessed teenage author of the Sasser and Netsky worms. Sven Jaschan was arrested in his home town in Germany. Securepoint said its decision to employ Sven Jaschan offered the German teen a "second chance". The job offer has certainly reopened the debate about how closely anti-virus firms should work with the people it is employed to counter. Some anti-virus firms have criticised Securepoint, arguing that it is sending a dangerous message to virus writers. The importance of this cannot be understated. As the world increasingly becomes dependent upon digital technology, virus writers and hackers represent some of the most destructive individuals alive. Their activities constitute nothing short of terrorism. The innocent victims are not just our computers, but the precious hours we spend compiling vital information and personal experiences that can be wiped out at the click of a mouse button. While the technology community is entitled to ask that we properly distinguish between hackers and "crackers" (i.e., those who overcome security measures without doing any damage), if those selfsame crackers then freely distribute their knowledge, they become party to the havoc wrought by hackers and virus writers who abuse that released technology. Prosecution of those who write and disseminate viruses is fraught with myriad legal complications. Overly harsh blanket laws could snare innocent parties whose computers or servers were hacked and used to further disseminate a virus. Careful delineation of exactly what defines offenders is required to adequately apply legal penalties to those who willfully engage in this destructive practice. |
| Posted by:Zenster |