4 ms·
Ask HN: What's in it for the author of Conficker?
I was reading that Microsoft is offering $250,000 for information leading to the author of the Conficker virus. So, why would someone write such a thing and put themselves in the crosshairs of authorities? How does the author profit from this mess?
- oldwesley 18y agoThis is the NYTimes piece where they discuss the Microsoft reward: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/technology/internet/01virus.html?_r=1&hpw http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/technology/internet/01viru...
- khafra 18y agoWorms aren't created by the likes of RTM(1) anymore; malware has been big business, and global, for quite a while now. Conficker was probably created by a professional malware engineer, or a team of them, working for somebody like the Russian Business Network(2)--and in a jurisdiction that makes legal prosecution difficult. (1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tappan_Morris http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tappan_Morris (2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Business_Network http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Business_Network
- oldwesley 18y agowiki: The RBN has been described by VeriSign as "the baddest of the bad" Great links. Thanks. Can't believe rtm didn't serve any jail time.