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Teen behind 70% of viruses
04/08/2004 10:42 - (SA)
Germany - A German teenager is apparently responsible for 70% of internet viruses that spread in the first half of 2004, The Telegraph reports.
The teen is the self-confessed author of the Sasser and Netsky worms and their variations.
A technical consultant at a computer security company, told The Telegraph: "It is simply staggering that a single German teenager could have had such a dramatic impact."
The Sasser bug hit several large corporations around the world, forcing them to shut down their services, which in turn led to huge financial losses.
Sven Jaschan, 18, was arrested at his home in the village of Waffensen in May and released pending charges after he admitted to creating the viruses. He told officials his original intention was to create a virus, Netsky A, that would combat the MyDoom and Bagle viruses, removing them from infected computers.
That led him to develop the Netsky virus further. After modifying it, he created Sasser, which raced around the world, exploiting a flaw in Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Jaschan is being investigated on suspicion of computer sabotage, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Authorities who have questioned him say they got the impression his motive was to gain fame as a programmer.
The teen was arrested after informants seeking a reward tipped off Microsoft.
A court date has not yet been set.
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