Authorities chase wrong LOVE virus suspect

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/0005/08/A47860-2000May8.shtml

Source: AFP | Published: Monday May 8, 3:49 AM

STOCKHOLM, May 7 - The young woman pursued by Philippine authorities
and US investigators in Manila is only a spreader, not the creator of
the LOVE virus currently wreaking havoc in computers worldwide, a
Swedish computer expert said in Stockholm today.

Fredrik Bjoerk - who identified the maker of the Melissa virus which
paralysed e-mail systems in large companies and the US Department of
Defence in March last year - is convinced the real creator of the
'love' virus is a German exchange student called Michael, currently
living in Australia.

"The person the FBI and the Philippine authorities have identified in
Manila was, at some stage or other, in contact with Michael," the IT
researcher at Stockholm university said.

"I have reason to believe that Michael created 'ILOVEYOU'. I spotted
his name three hours after the virus was released," Bjoerck told
Sweden's TT news agency yesterday.

Michael activated the virus in the Philippines but there is no
certainty that he was physically present, the expert said.

Philippine police issued an arrest warrant for a young female hacker
based in Manila, suspected by Philippine and American investigators of
planting the virus.

The FBI said delays are critical in investigating cyber-crimes,
because the evidence can rapidly be deleted or destroyed.

Experts estimate the virus, which spread around the world in a matter
of hours Thursday via an e-mail with the message 'ILOVEYOU', caused
some $US2.6 billion ($A4.4 billion) in damage.

Computer networks for the British, Danish and US parliaments were
affected, as was the US Pentagon and hundreds of US, German, French,
Spanish and Swiss companies.


*-------------------------------------------------*
"Communications without intelligence is noise;
Intelligence without communications is irrelevant."
Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
---------------------------------------------------
C4I Secure Solutions             http://www.c4i.org
*-------------------------------------------------*

ISN is sponsored by SecurityFocus.com
---
To unsubscribe email LISTSERV () SecurityFocus com with a message body of
"SIGNOFF ISN".