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Love Bug virus raises specter of cyberterrorism
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The attack of the "Love Bug" computer virus raises the troubling specter of cyberterrorism, a professor of Asian legal studies said Monday. "What if North Korea wants to do this, or terrorist states decide to do this," said James Feinerman, an expert in Asian legal studies at Georgetown University. "This could happen in places where the authorities aren't so compliant" as the Filipino government, Feinerman said. "What if (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein decides to get back at the United States" by generating computer viruses.
Millions of computer systems around the world were affected by the "ILOVEYOU" virus, which crippled email systems from the British Parliament to the Pentagon to networks in Asia. The virus caused billions of dollars in damage, mostly in lost work time. Philippines authorities arrested a bank employee, Reomel Ramones, 27, in Manila Monday and named his girlfriend a suspect in the virus case after local police and FBI agents raided their apartment and found computer equipment. Police also contacted a third roommate, the girlfriend's sister. They expect to arrest her today. Under Philippines law, the suspects could face civil and criminal trials, just as they would in the United States, Feinerman said. Also, as in U.S. law, the criminal trials normally would come first because criminal cases usually entail more detailed investigations, he said. Philippines investigators questioned Ramones on Monday. He was taken into custody by the National Bureau of Investigation, which said the man was "invited" to answer questions because officers did not have an arrest warrant for him. No law on computer crimesInvestigators were hampered by the lack of a Philippines law that specifically addresses computer crimes. The warrant was finally sought under the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998. The law was written chiefly to target credit card fraud but also covers the use of any unauthorized access device in order to obtain goods or services. The penalties could range between fines of 10,000 Filipino pesos or twice the value obtained by the offense, and anywhere from six to 20 years in prison. Police executed a search warrant for the machine they believed was used to create the virus. The registered owner of the computer is a woman, but at least three people had accounts on the machine.
Investigators said that by examining the computer, they may be able to determine the user who created the virus. However, they also warned that any evidence may have been removed from the machine. A new regulation, known as the "Electronic Commerce Act," would prohibit hacking and other computer crimes but has not yet been passed by the Filipino congress. More laws won't stop hackersBut more legislation won't deter hackers from trying to infect the world's computer systems with viruses similar to the "ILOVEYOU" virus, computer and cyberlaw experts said Friday. Better security technology, diligent enforcement of existing laws, better-trained law enforcement officers and enchanced cooperation between the authorities and the computer industries are some of the measures the experts recommend. "CEOs must personally involve themselves in security and privacy," said Jeff Richards, executive director of the Internet Alliance, an industry group based in Washington. "I think legislation in this case should be generally a last resort." He said he feared that more legislation could restrict open access to the Internet. He added that an industry-wide commitment to boosting cybersecurity would also enhance consumer confidence. Other experts noted that most hacking is committed by young people seeking attention and believing themselves to be mere high-tech pranksters. They said as long as there are computers there will be hackers -- and laws will do little to deter them. "The culture now is that these kids think they are untouchable," said Anthony Lupo, a lawyer who specializes in e-commerce issues at Arent Fox, a Washington law firm. Lupo said that while laws against cybercrimes are important, "I don't know what good more laws can do. The fix to this is technical." He said he believes the Philippines government probably will vigorously prosecute the alleged culprits in Thursday's "I Love You" attack because failing to do so would be public relations blunder, if nothing else. Lupo, who said he has visited the Philippines on business, said the country is eager to establish itself as a cybereconomy and is wooing international companies. RELATED STORIES: Copycat viruses following 'ILOVEYOU' computer bug are no joke RELATED SITES: F-Secure Web - Main index |
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