Viruses, malware, trojans, worms and root kits

[ChrisXPPro]

Just general thoughts so putting this here.

What is it drives these clowns to write and disseminate all this crap?  Is it just wickedness, knowing that somehow they have made some folk's lives miserable?  I often wonder and also wonder if they ever get hit themselves and so have to suffer the nuisance and problems.

Like as not they are tight as tight with their own security but aware at same time how many vulnerable machines are out there to mess with - coupled with very non savy users sometimes.

I well remember the first virus - back in DOS days and well before Pentium was even thought of - just basic 086 with maybe a ''monster'' 1 Mb hard drive!  The virus that led to all the text falling down like rain!

OK - mini rant over!

[Zylstra]

Some write for fun...
Some write for experiment
Some write without the intent that it will actually get sent out. (Thats why they make viruses that purposely spread from machine to machine)
Some do to say they can (this is very very common)


Other than that, they usually run and compile viruses on a test machine... loosing none of their data.
Pretty good for them, isnt it?

Want me to write one so you can send it to the jerk who infected you? I bet all he will do is write another one and send it back. (Nah, I wouldn't do that. But, I can write an incredibly sucky one... wait! They all suck!)

[geek hoodlum]

some write for fame
some write for cyber terrorism

[CBMatt]

And of course, some do it for money.
And I'm sure there's probably some excitement in the thought of being able to cause trouble for other people without them ever knowing who you are.

As for them getting infected...I'm sure many of them are just as vulnerable as anyone else.  But the real "experts" are people who are very familiar with anti-virus programs and how they work.  After all, that's how they are able to figure out how to bypass the systems.

[Zylstra]

*opens QBASIC and inconspicuously sends a zipped EXE to CBMatt*

[CBMatt]

Mmm, snack.

[ChrisXPPro]

Mmm, snack.

 

[Calum]

It used to be true that most viruses were written by amateurs aiming to cause havoc or damage.
Nowadays, a lot of malware is part of organised crime, written for the purposes of damaging competitors or making money.

[CBMatt]

Nowadays, a lot of malware is part of organised crime, written for the purposes of damaging competitors

Which is typically the case in the attacks against CastleCops.

[evilfantasy]

Criminals try to 'copyright' malware - Virus writers selling software with a detailed licensing agreement

Honor among thieves?

Professional virus writers are now selling a suite of software on the Internet with an unusual attachment: a detailed licensing agreement that promises penalties for redistributing the malicious code without permission.

[Zylstra]

Haha, wow...

Not like you know your distributing it either...

[CBMatt]

Hmm, you've got to wonder how something like that would hold up in court.  Of course, I suppose I wouldn't really expect these guys to penalize through conventional means...

[evilfantasy]

It reminds me of the kids who video their crime and post it on YouTube. Doing something illegal here....would you like my name and address?

[srtony1946]

I think Some Anti Virus, spyware, malware companys create nastys just so they can sell you software!. To fight It.

[evilfantasy]

Thats something that has been talked about for many years. People take the software/malware and can dissect it to the point of being able to tell one author from another, where it came from and so on. If it were happening it probably wouldn't be long before the person/company was outed.

But then again never say never.....