Bringing Worm Writers to Justice Is No Easy Task

Speedy arrest of German teen in Sasser case is only a small victory, experts say

By Jaikumar Vijayan

May 17, 2004 12:00 PM ET

Recommended

Computerworld - Despite the quick arrest of the author of the recent Sasser worm, much still needs to be accomplished if catching and prosecuting such criminals is to be the rule rather than the exception, users and analysts said last week.
From a technology perspective, more effort needs to be devoted to building better network tracking, monitoring and logging capabilities.
On the legal front, international laws need to be more standardized to enable efficient cross-border pursuit and capture of cybercriminals, security experts said.
Fear of Retribution
There is also an element of hesitation and even fear on the part of many companies to actively go after criminals who launch such attacks, said Bruce Schneier, co-founder and chief technology officer of Counterpane Internet Security Inc., a Mountain View, Calif.-based provider of managed security services.
"They don't want to make waves because they are very afraid of retribution," he said.
Sven Jaschan was arrested near Rotenberg, Germany, on May 8, and he subsequently confessed to creating the Sasser worm. The 18-year-old was apprehended following a tip to Microsoft Corp. from a group of people in the culprit's home state of Lower Saxony.
While the speed of the arrest is encouraging, it would be a mistake to overstate its significance, analysts said.


SASSER Worm creator Sven Jaschan was arrested quickly, but the majority of worm writers are never caught. Image Credit: Newscom.com

"This is a big improvement over the [nonexistent] arrests ... of yesteryear," according to Ken Dunham, a director at iDefense Inc. in Reston, Va. But the fact remains that the majority of worm writers are never caught.
'A Disgrace'
Even when they are caught, most cybercriminals receive little more than a slap on the wrist, said Michael Kamens, global network security director at Thermo Electron Corp., a $2 billion manufacturer of scientific equipment in Waltham, Mass.
"What's going on is really a disgrace," said Kamens. His company, like others, is spending more and more resources on fending off numerous assaults on its networks. When it has been able to pinpoint attack sources, Thermo Electron has asked Internet service providers to shut down the offending servers or Web sites from which the attacks are launched.
"If we did have an attack that was serious enough, we would have no hesitation to go to the FBI with it," Kamens said. "If you simply sit back and don't prosecute, nothing is going to happen."
The Bank of Alameda in California has a similarly aggressive policy for dealing with attacks that target its systems. On two occasions, the community

Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

Security

Additional Resources

Xerox

Win a color printer!

By using solid ink technology only from Xerox, you could save up to 65% by printing color for the cost of black and white. Enter for a chance to WIN a PhaserTM 8860 network color printer!

Microsoft

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 today.

Save time and mitigate security risk. Deploy it now.

Sybase

NEXT-GENERATION MOBILITY PLATFORMS

In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

White Papers & Webcasts

Informatica 9 Launch: Transform your Business. Transform your world.

LIVE Nov 10, 2009 12:00 PM ET

Architecting Business Intelligence Applications for Change: The Open Solution

LIVE Nov 12, 2009 02:00 PM ET

The State of PCI DSS Compliance at Organizations Today
Download this resource today!

Managing Secure File Transfer to Save Time, Money and IT Resources
Learn how companies are using innovative technology to overcome these challenges and improve user productivity by offloading e-mail attachments and replacing FTP with...

Can Heuristic Technology Help Your Company Fight Viruses?
What is Heuristic Technology and how can it help safeguard your business against viruses? Learn more.

Security Convergence Equals Network Security Cost Savings
Listen to IBM Internet Security Systems' take on network security convergence.

Why Email Must Operate 24/7 and How to Make This Happen
Learn how to avoid an email outage by implementing a hosted email continuity solution.

Lower the Cost and Complexity of a Mobile Workforce through Automation
Download This Resource Now!

Eradicate Spam & Gain 100% Asurance of Clean Mailboxes
Get this paper now!

Managing Mobility: Improve Data Security, Compliance and Manageability
Download This Resource Now!

Mastering eDiscovery: The IT Manager's Guide to Preservation, Protection & Production
Get this paper now!

Disaster Recovery 2008: Reduced Costs and Improved Performance
How long can your Enterprise afford to be without your data? With an accelerated disaster recovery program, you never have to answer this...

All White Papers | All Webcasts