Software Quarterly

Stealth Bomber: The Computer Virus Writer


Vandalism has always attracted the malicious, people who indulge themselves for sport ... for prestige ... and even for a sordid imitation of glory. That destructive behavior is evident in today's technology cyberculture.

With the flick of a diskette into a drive, virus writers can send their electronic graffiti along networks spanning the computer world. Most don't consider the potential impact and huge costs their viruses may cause. They're after the high they get from inflicting damage -- especially when their efforts make the evening news.

Virus writers have created a subculture of their own. Want to write some harmful code? It's easy. Pick up a virus-writing kit, read various newsletters, trade CD-ROMs containing source code, or even dial up one of several bulletin board services (BBS). There's one catch: before gaining access, one has to first upload a new virus onto the BBS. This prerequisite is a twisted way of getting even the merely curious to commit a dirty deed.

Players in this techno-sport are believed to be between 16 and 28 years old. But no one is certain. In today's high-tech world, anyone can unleash a virus "into the wild"; it's as simple as uploading a seemingly innocent program onto a BBS. By the time the virus is detected, all that remains is the proverbial smoking pistol -- but no clue about who pulled the trigger.

Many believe virus writing is practiced by students, social drop-outs, disgruntled employees, or terrorists -- which means it could be anyone from a smooth-skinned, teen-age hacker to a whiskered sociopath.

Where will they strike next? More important, will you and your company be ready?


See also:
How Much is Enough?
A Virus by Any Other Name...
Common Viruses
And Still More Viruses

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