$250,000 to catch a virus-writer – Microsoft offers rewards

The number of computer viruses, worms and other types of malicious code on the internet is increasing, but the authors of these codes are seldom caught.

Over the summer the MSBlaster worm, also known as Blaster or LoveSan, hit the headlines when it began exploiting a publicised flaw in Microsoft's Windows operating system.

The attack took the form of a highly infectious worm that caused computers to constantly reboot or to show error messages. The worm was also programmed to launch a denial of service attack – where a server or system is overloaded to the point of collapse – against Microsoft's Windows Update site on 16th August (although this attack did not materialise as Microsoft ensured the target site pages were not available on-line). MSBlaster and its variants caused an estimated $1.3 billion worth of damage worldwide. The authors of several of the MSBlaster variants have now been arrested but the original writer is still at large.

August also saw a variant of the SoBig virus flooding e-mail boxes. This virus caused mass e-mailings from infected machines, but also contained a hidden instruction that, if not thwarted, would have launched massive denial of service attacks. The authors of this virus have not been caught, with some commentators suggesting that they are potentially too sophisticated to be caught, even with the reward now on offer from Microsoft.

The Anti-Virus Reward Program, with initial funds of $5 million, offers rewards to anyone, from any country, who provides information resulting in the arrest and conviction of specified virus writers.

In announcing details of the Reward Program, Microsoft was joined by representatives from law enforcement bodies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Interpol. Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel at Microsoft said:

"Malicious worms and viruses are criminal attacks on everyone who uses the Internet. Those who release viruses on the Internet are the saboteurs of cyberspace, and Microsoft wants to help the authorities catch them."