# Suspected creator of one Blaster virus in custody! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 29, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475 "2003-08-29T17:59:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/21 "2003-08-30T01:09:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*IIRC, the “love” virus perpetrator received no punishment because the Philippine law did not address what he did, according to the prosecution there. \*\* Thanks, **Monty** - that’s amazing. You’d think he’d at least be banned from the Internet for life. (Can you imagine? NO!! NO!!) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/22 "2003-08-30T01:19:48Z")
Blonde: I was working on Diego Garcia when all that hit the fan. A number of the Filipinos on the island were saying how proud they were of that clown! I just heard on the news that Parson’s on house arrest and is prohibited from using the Internet. WTF? How’re they going to prevent that without posting a guard at his place to prevent someone from bringing him a computer? ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/23 "2003-08-30T04:01:20Z")
These guys should go to prison for a long time. It’s a serious economic crime or it should be. Department of Justice ruling on Microsoft absolutely requires that Microsoft must announce any vulnerability as soon as it is discovered. This gives hackers and other fucknuts a bulls eye to go after. It is a race between users patching their machines and hackers ripping through your personal and corporate networks. Hard time for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/24 "2003-08-30T07:55:03Z")
> [@](#): > > If I’m writing this virus, and I want to make a real statement, I don’t just fucking reboot the computer a few times. My virus tries to infect other machines for an hour, and then runs ‘format c:’. Maybe that would teach people to treat computer security seriously. > > -lv Yes, and while you’re at it, you should break into people’s houses to teach them to lock their doors.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/25 "2003-08-30T15:10:03Z")
Put the major blame where it belongs. Squarely on MicroMush! If they ever get it right they wont have to do it over, and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over, ad infinitum. and over. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/26 "2003-08-30T15:17:45Z")
spingears: So bank robberies are the fault of the banks? Pull your head out. The view of reality is really quite refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/27 "2003-08-30T15:22:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **spingears** \* > Put the major blame where it belongs. > > Squarely on MicroMush! While MS may be accused of manufacturing a less-than-perfect product I don’t see how it excuses the real perp. Let’s put the blame squarely where it belongs: Jeffrey Lee Parson. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/28 "2003-08-30T15:35:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blowero \* > \*\*Yes, and while you’re at it, you should break into people’s houses to teach them to lock their doors.:rolleyes: \*\* Which is why I don’t write viruses. But if somebody lives in a high-crime neighborhood, and they don’t lock their doors, I’m not going to feel too sorry for them when they get robbed. **Monty** , that’s a bad analogy. If I give my money to a bank, I’m assuming that they’re taking reasonable measures to protect it from robbers. Like by putting it into a safe that won’t open unless you know the **actual** combination. -lv ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/29 "2003-08-30T15:53:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Which is why I don’t write viruses. But if somebody lives in a high-crime neighborhood, and they don’t lock their doors, I’m not going to feel too sorry for them when they get robbed. But you’d feel the thief deserved some praise, right? After all, he showed a lot of restraint - he could’a burned the place right down. Formatted their lot, as it were. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/30 "2003-08-30T16:10:27Z")
LordVor: Have you been in a bank in, oh, say, the last 30 years? The bank has these little things called _teller drawers_ which are not locked away inside a combination lock protected steel safe. They are right there at the _teller counter_ where the \*teller sits (or stands). Bank robbers is a very good analogy to this. It’s widely known that there are tellers in banks and that they actually handle the cash right there in the open. Your attitude towards crime and criminals is just stunning. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/31 "2003-08-30T16:53:23Z")
This is interesting. He used to go by _teekid_. Check out some of his Internet droppings: [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:l8g2yTYshU4J:www.trojanforge.net/showthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D2627+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:l8g2yTYshU4J:www.trojanforge.net/showthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D2627+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:Jph5g8gQCwAJ:www.trojanforge.net/showthread/t-2162.html+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:Jph5g8gQCwAJ:www.trojanforge.net/showthread/t-2162.html+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:FEZleHDR3mcJ:t33kid.com/+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:FEZleHDR3mcJ:t33kid.com/+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:LxFv6TNMbqIJ:www.mngfoa.org/start\_page.htm+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:LxFv6TNMbqIJ:www.mngfoa.org/start_page.htm+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/32 "2003-08-30T17:10:27Z")
This is interesting. He used to go by _teekid_. Check out some of his Internet droppings: [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:l8g2yTYshU4J:www.trojanforge.net/showthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D2627+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:l8g2yTYshU4J:www.trojanforge.net/showthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D2627+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:Jph5g8gQCwAJ:www.trojanforge.net/showthread/t-2162.html+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:Jph5g8gQCwAJ:www.trojanforge.net/showthread/t-2162.html+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:FEZleHDR3mcJ:t33kid.com/+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:FEZleHDR3mcJ:t33kid.com/+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:LxFv6TNMbqIJ:www.mngfoa.org/start\_page.htm+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:LxFv6TNMbqIJ:www.mngfoa.org/start_page.htm+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/33 "2003-08-30T18:04:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dead Badger \* > \*\*But you’d feel the thief deserved some praise, right? After all, he showed a lot of restraint - he could’a burned the place right down. Formatted their lot, as it were. \*\* If the thief walked in the front door, took a look around, left a note saying “I could’ve stolen all of your jewlery, your electronics, and the $2000 under your mattress, but I only took your velvet elvis painting”, then yes, I would think that the thief deserved some amount of praise for teaching the lesson of “lock your doors” while showing restraint. That’s about the right proportion as to what Blaster did verses what it could have done. It’s not like I’m in favor of any thievery (or viruses), but there’s a sliding scale here. You’ve got the “good guys” that don’t cause crime at one end of the scale, and you’ve got guys who’s sole intention is to cause as much trouble and damage as possible on the other end. All I’m saying is that the Blaster auther is a lot closer to the good guys than the worst guys. He’s still a bad guy, but has some redeeming values. As soon as the expoit code was released (which was well after the patch was announced), there were millions of programmers throughout the world (including several in countries where there would be no fear of legal repercussions for instigating an attack on american computers) with the skill necessary to write an exploit. It is naive and dangerous to think that none of those people would do so. Therefore, assuming that the attack is inevitable, I’m glad that the first attack was more of act of disruption that tought a lesson than a deliberate attempt at destruction. **Monty** , so I rushed my point, a flaw of mine in MB communication. What I should have said was “I expect the bank to not take money out of my account unless I explicitely ask them to”. The cash in the drawers is not my money, it’s the bank’s money. Cash stolen out of the drawer does not impact the amount of money in my account. Should the bank allow money to be taken out of my account through nefarious means, then I hold the bank accountable (unless, of course, it’s taken out because I wrote my pin number on my ATM and let my wallet get stolen, then I hold myself accountable). It’s not that I’m absolving the actual thief of blame, it’s that I expect me and my bank to take reasonable measures to prevent that theft, with the assumption that thieves exist and will always exist (a safe assumption, since “thief” has got to be the second-oldest profession). -lv ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/34 "2003-08-30T21:52:48Z")
Among all your other bullshit, I’d like to point out this little nugget: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LordVor \* > **The cash in the drawers is not my money, it’s the bank’s money. Cash stolen out of the drawer does not impact the amount of money in my account.** Well, if the bank has to pay more for insurance and security and passes the costs on to you through more service charges, it _will_ impact the amount of money in your account. I personally think this particular hacker is too stupid and/or maladjusted to benefit from conventional rehabilitation and a public thrashing is a suitable response. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/35 "2003-08-30T23:21:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > **Well, if the bank has to pay more for insurance and security and passes the costs on to you through more service charges, it _will_ impact the amount of money in your account.** The money is in the drawer in the first place (rather than locked in a more secure area) because the bank has deemed that amount of money an acceptible amount to lose while still enough to do buisiness. I imagine that the amount that they put into the drawers is based upon what they’re insured against, as the banks (at least around here) seem to do little to nothing to ensure that the money in the drawer isn’t stolen. Seriously, every other month some guy walks in to a bank around here, passes over a note saying “give me all your money”, and they just empty the drawer into his sack and let him go. 9 times out of 10, he’s gone for good, and they didn’t even so much as make him show a weapon before handing out the money. That amount of money isn’t significant to them. And if it starts getting significant, the first thing they do is to start putting less in the drawer. Plus, if they do end up raising their prices, I move to a different bank that’s more efficient in their security. At my current bank, for instance, the tellers don’t have _any_ cash, only the ATMs do. Or perhaps you think that the bank should put all of their assets into the easily accessible drawers, then lament the fact that thieves exist after all of their money gets stolen and hope that the police catch them and punish them. The fact is that there is no reason why anybody should have been hit by Slammer. The exploit was dire and well-publicized and the fix was available a full month before the virus hit. But fuckwits like **Blonde’s tech guy** didn’t do anything to secure the computers under their control until it was too late. In retrospect “praise” is probably too strong a word, but “doesn’t deserve to be fucked in the eye” isn’t be out of line. If you care to say what else, specifically, is “bullshit” and why, I’d certainly be willing to listen. -lv ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/36 "2003-08-30T23:55:23Z")
**LordVor** - The way I see it, no matter how “dire” and “well-publicized” the exploit was, not a single person would have been in any way harmed by it if **Parson** and his slimy little co-criminals hadn’t decided to commit their reprehensible, illegal, and immoral acts. You’re absolutely right that there is no reason why anybody should have been hit by Slammer, because **no one should have written a virus in the first place**. Those who choose to break the law and cause inconvenience and injury to others deserve to be condemned and punished. **I** and other law-abiding citizens show restraint by not writing viruses. Jeffrey Lee Parson just showed that he’s a criminal jerk. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/37 "2003-08-31T00:16:50Z")
Guys, the bank analogy is played freakin’ out. 🙂 So what if an Iraqi “computer geurilla” had sent out this worm(we still don’t actually know who sent out the original,IIRC)? Surely that would be a fair war tactic and so we couldn’t blame the Iraqi nerd. Then would people here question M$'s economics vs security formula? (hmmm, maybe to avoid a detour let’s pretend major combat has not been declared over) ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/38 "2003-08-31T00:29:42Z")
**SpoilerVirgin** , it’s the “world wide web”. Not the “USA-wide web”. Not the “only countries that criminalize virus-like attacks against foreign computers-wide-web”. The virus writer may not have broken any law in his country (as the ILoveYou virus guy). The virus writer may not have to fear any punishment. Saying that he should be punished is one thing, but expecting that to deter everybody in the world from writing viruses is just silly. You have to assume that the virus will be written, and protect yourself from it. If people did that, such viruses wouldn’t get written anymore, because there wouldn’t be a point if everybody was immune to the exploit before they can try and take advantage of it. Or are you saying that I shouldn’t be responsible for locking my house because no one should come into my house and steal my things? And Jeffrey Lee Parson is just a criminal jerk. He took the existing Slammer virus and personalized it. Any redeaming value that Slammer had was in place well before Jeff got his hands on it. ---
**Author:** ![corndog\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@corndog\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corndog_man)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/39 "2003-08-31T04:09:25Z")
A letter to Jeff Parson, Mr. Parson, you were the asshole who put that “Blaster worm” in my computer. This Blaster thing really sucked because I enjoy my computer, and I live in a part of the world where there are very little English reading or conversation, so you sit this bullshit up to force my PC to reboot every thirty seconds. Cute, motherfucker, cute. My PC is somewhat expensive, as well as most people’s (about 1000 USD and up), yet you decide to try to fuck everyone’s PC up because you wanted to hack Bill Gates and Microsoft. So, Mr. Parson, Bill Gates is going to kick your ass, I am going to kick your ass, Microsoft shareholders are going to (guess what) kick your ass, as well as the thousands of computer owners you decided to fuck up, because your funny and thought would never get caught. May the FBI stick your cold, white Minnesota ass in a prison where the sun don’t get shine, and you have to teach Windows 101 to retards! ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475/40 "2003-08-31T04:43:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\*This is interesting. He used to go by _teekid_. Check out some of his Internet droppings: > > [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:l8g2yTYshU4J:www.trojanforge.net/showthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D2627+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:l8g2yTYshU4J:www.trojanforge.net/showthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D2627+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) > > [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:Jph5g8gQCwAJ:www.trojanforge.net/showthread/t-2162.html+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:Jph5g8gQCwAJ:www.trojanforge.net/showthread/t-2162.html+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) > > [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:FEZleHDR3mcJ:t33kid.com/+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:FEZleHDR3mcJ:t33kid.com/+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) > > [http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:LxFv6TNMbqIJ:www.mngfoa.org/start\_page.htm+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8](http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:LxFv6TNMbqIJ:www.mngfoa.org/start_page.htm+teekid&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) \*\* How interesting. It looks as though there’s an entire on-line culture of virus writers who get kicks from sharing their information with one another. I’d say that the heroes amongst them are those who can write a virus which “takes off big time”. I’m not surprised that such a culture exists. Given that every possible depravity in human nature has a dedicated website of SOME kind in it’s honour, it’s no surprise that a virus sharing support community exists too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suspected-creator-of-one-blaster-virus-in-custody/198475.md?page=3)