Melissa virus-maker gets 20 months

[b0mbrman]

Think it's too little, too much?

[Excerpt]
Wed May 1,12:12 PM ET

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The creator of the "Melissa" virus was sentenced Wednesday to 20 months in federal prison for causing millions of dollars of damage by disrupting e-mail systems worldwide in 1999.

David L. Smith, 33, pleaded guilty in December 1999 to a state charge of computer theft and to a federal charge of sending a damaging computer program. In the federal plea, both sides agreed the damage was greater than $80 million.

Smith is believed to be among the first people ever prosecuted for creating a computer virus. In court Wednesday, he called the act a "colossal mistake."

The Melissa virus, which struck in March 1999, was disguised as an e-mail marked "important message" from a friend or colleague. It caused computers to send 50 additional infected messages. The volume of messages generated slowed some systems to a crawl.
[/Excerpt]

 

[b0mbrman]

Oh yeah

Repost check (Melissa, virus)

 

[gunf1ghter]

He probably thought he was pretty smart when he launched it too.

Dumbass.

 

[vi edit]

20 months in the federal pound you in the ass prison? I'd say that's a light sentance for the amount of corporate level damage he caused.

 

[gunf1ghter]

I concur.... if he had done something in the "physical world" that caused that kind of financial damage, blowing up a bridge for example, he'd get a hell of a lot more than 20 months.

 

[vi edit]

Yeh, I find it sad when somebody busted for smoking pot can possibly serve longer time than this choad who caused god knows how many millions of dollars worth of down time, data loss, and infrastructure collapse.

 

[nihil]

my friend was friends with this guy. and before he released this virus he would always say stuff like "man, i'm working on something HUGE something really really big....you'll know who it is once it happens". a few days later he was browsing the paper and saw david l. smith on the front page, said it shocked the crap out of him.

 

[gunf1ghter]

Now he gets to go be someone's anal butt slave for the next 20 months... hope that his 5 minutes of fame were worth it for him.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< I concur.... if he had done something in the "physical world" that caused that kind of financial damage, blowing up a bridge for example, he'd get a hell of a lot more than 20 months. >>


Definitely...but it'll take years for the laws to catch up with the internet at the rate it's changing...

 

[gunf1ghter]

agreed

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

Too much...if idiot users had half a clue he wouldn't have done any damage...

 

[datalink7]

<< Too much...if idiot users had half a clue he wouldn't have done any damage... >>



What does this have to do with what he did? And what actually happened?

 

[UltraQuiet]

<< Too much...if idiot users had half a clue he wouldn't have done any damage... >>


That doesn't make the act any less malicious. He got off light.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< Too much...if idiot users had half a clue he wouldn't have done any damage... >>


Interesting thought that hadn't crossed my mind...and you could use the same defense people use when defending cigarettes, alcohol, guns, etc...

 

[Shaftatplanetquake]

<< Too much...if idiot users had half a clue he wouldn't have done any damage... >>



He made a virus. Idiots spread the virus/couldn't contain their own computers because they don't understand their own computers. The liability doesn't lie solely with him.

 

[John]

<< He made a virus. Idiots spread the virus/couldn't contain their own computers because they don't understand their own computers. The liability doesn't lie solely with him. >>



He commited a crime. Plain and smple if you ask me.

 

[Supermercado]

Too light of a sentence. 20 months for more than $80 million worth of damage, whether that damage is physical or electronic? Come on.

 

[gunf1ghter]

<< He made a virus. Idiots spread the virus/couldn't contain their own computers because they don't understand their own computers. The liability doesn't lie solely with him. >>



Yeah... right. That's like saying that if you forget to lock the door to your home and get robbed, that the burgler should get off light because your responsible.

Give me a F*cking break... he got off easy.

I love malicious hackers like this who say that they do this crap for the "good" of helping to demonstrate product or security deficiencies.

All they are doing is stroking their own ego.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Way too little for doing millions of dollars in damage...

nik

 

[Danman]

Man, this guy should of gotten at least 5 years min. sentence. :disgust:

 

[ThaGrandCow]

<< In court Wednesday, he called the act a "colossal mistake." >>

Wow, that takes it for dumbest quote of the year. He's smart enough to make the virus, but not intelligent enough to realize that if it works as planned he'll be doing major damage to many corporations.

 

[rudder]

He made a virus. Idiots spread the virus/couldn't contain their own computers because they don't understand their own computers. The liability doesn't lie solely with him.


Yes it does. The fact that he took advantage of people that don't understand computers is why he should have gotten 60 months at least.

 

[bandXtrb]

So do you think he'll be able to get a job in the technology/security field after he gets out?

 

[vi edit]

<< So do you think he'll be able to get a job in the technology/security field after he gets out? >>



Don't they have some sort of policy that people busted for computer related crimes can't so much as even access a computer for XX amount of years?

I think if this guy tries to pull it again, you break his fingers.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< So do you think he'll be able to get a job in the technology/security field after he gets out? >>


I think he'll be able to get a job with the very people who are punishing him...