Busted

Busted
Tim Mullen, 2004-05-17

The arrest of Sasser's author proves bounties work to catch cyber vandals. Now, if the security industry would just stop egging them on ...

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Success, or Illusion? 2004-05-17
Matthew Murphy (1 replies)

While the article makes an excellent point that solving vulnerabilities, etc., was never really the intention of Microsoft's virus writer bounty program, that was never really the claim.

I, like others in this field, believed that Microsoft would use the relatively inexpensive bounty programs as ...

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Success, or Illusion? 2004-05-19
Mene Tekel

Another reason why bounties are often bad, is that they increase the false positive rate, and can be abused. When there's no penalties for false reports, it's tempting to report anyone you think might be suspicious -- even if 99% of those you report are innocent of what you report them for, a $250k...

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Busted yeah...you are 2004-05-17
Anonymous

dropped dime on him did so for the reward money.
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your accuracy on these matters is frightening. good thing your not a doctor or anyone with any responsibilities in their hands.

There was no reward money, there was no reward posted. the kids had to contact Microsoft and asked IF Microso...

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Busted 2004-05-18
Anonymous (1 replies)

Isn't this story also about TEACHING kids to be responsible citizens, instead of busting them ? Aren't they also victims of this messed up, disgusting society, just like drug addicts ?

Containment and repression are sometimes needeed.

Much nicer would be to hear about prevention - which is try...

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Busted 2004-05-19
Anonymous (2 replies)

>Isn't this story also about TEACHING kids
>to be responsible citizens, instead
>of busting them ?

Indeed. Of course, part of teaching children is correcting their behavior. Sometimes this means making them stand in a corner, sometimes this means expelling them from school, sometimes this m...

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Busted 2004-05-20
Anonymous

If a coyote comes out of the woods and drags one of your kids away by the head, you don't try and analyse the motivations of the coyote. You don't try and rehabilitate the coyote. You don't blame the child for being dragged away, and you don't try and design a world where coyotes are not a threat.
...

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Busted 2004-05-21
Anonymous

>>Isn't this story also about TEACHING kids
>>to be responsible citizens, instead
>>of busting them ?

> Indeed. Of course, part of teaching
> children is correcting their behavior.
> Sometimes this means making them stand
> in a corner, sometimes this means
> expelling them from school,...

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"The bounty program is working." 2004-05-18
Penguinisto

It is? Seems like a perfect vehicle to joe-job someone else good and hard, then make a few bucks off of it, IMHO.

Also, given this: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/18/sasser_informant_tur
ns_suspect/

Err, maybe it works, maybe not, eh?

BTW - how about all the other virii, worms, and e...

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Fahrenheit 911 2004-05-19
Wim Remes

Is the US' war on terrorism flawed (we all know it is ...) because they put a multi-million bounty on OBL's head ? No ! It is flawed because they've always put money before the well-being of people in common on the well-being of US citizens in particular. There are some frightening parallels to draw...

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Proof? 2004-05-19
Anonymous

Tim, how exactly does a single nabbed script kiddie translate to "proof bounties work to catch cyber vandals"? By that reasoning: "Aliens haven't sucked my brain out yet, so this proves that my tinfoil hat works." The damage has already been done, and catching Jaschan after the fact does nothing to ...

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*YAWN* 2004-05-19
Rip van Winkle

Is this the best Mullen can do? He is weeks old on the subject, all the
points he is (trying with difficulty) to make have been pointed out many
times before by ...uh...hum.. professional technology writers. All we have
here is a compilation of other peoples observations and opinions -

1 bount...

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Consequence for a reward system 2004-05-20
Anonymous

Rewards is a nice idea as long as Microsoft honors their commitment. A previous poster didn't seem to think that M$ paid a dime for the Sasser guy. Maybe they should maintain a busted hall of fame on their site with what they paid for the reward and when.
The consequences that I think may happen...

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Busted 2004-05-21
D3@7i0

"and, perversely, the security industry's own PR mechanisms may be providing the score board for this game of one-upsmanship."
_________________________________________

I know that's true. For example, has anyone seen www.sarc.com. Come on, their are many sites like these that sensationalize ...

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Busted 2004-05-23
blacklight

The two main points I am getting from Tim Mullen's piece are: (1) Sasser is proof that it does not take that much skill to create some serious devastation in Windows environment; (2) Microsoft's reward program worked in one case, and one feels generous about it, at least one case. And it will work u...

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Busted 2004-05-24
Coldman

Computer crime is still a crime.

If bounties or law enforcement would [be able to] eliminate any or all crimes, this world would be perfect (or ideal) by now.

But it is not, and I don't think it will be. So... It doesn't work - it is only an illusion, something to show off...

"Welcome to th...

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