Microsoft Corporation Wednesday unveiled plans to reward would-be bounty hunters for locating worm and virus producers and distributors. The so-called Anti-Virus Reward Program is designed
specifically to help law enforcement agencies identify and bring to justice those who produce worms, viruses and other forms of damaging code on the Internet.
"Malicious worms and viruses are
criminal attacks on everyone who uses the Internet," said Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel at Microsoft. "Even as we work to make software more secure and educate users on how to
protect themselves, we are also working to stamp out the criminal behavior that causes this problem. These are not just Internet crimes, cybercrimes or virtual crimes. These are real crimes that hurt
a lot of people. Those who release viruses on the Internet are the saboteurs of cyberspace, and Microsoft wants to help the authorities catch them."
Representatives of three law enforcement
agencies, the FBI, the Secret Service, and Interpol, joined Microsoft yesterday at a National Press Club news conference, where Microsoft released the details of the program. Each of the
representatives issued statements at the National Press Club conference.
"The distribution of worms and viruses, such as MSBlast and Sobig, are far from victimless crimes," said Keith Lourdeau,
Acting Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI Cyber Division. "Such attacks on the Internet cost businesses worldwide millions -- some estimates claim billions - of dollars and wreak havoc on
individuals by ruining files, hard drives and other critical data."
"By working together, the public, the private sector and law enforcement can combine their resources to effectively combat
computer-based crimes like the MSBlast.A worm and Sobig virus," added Bruce Townsend, deputy assistant director of investigations at the Secret Service.
"Interpol is particularly interested in
fighting the malicious spreading of viruses because this represents a truly borderless crime that requires a truly global response," said Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble, at the
organization's headquarters in Lyon. "This Microsoft reward program is an opportunity to continue building effective relationships between the world's police and the private sector in order to prevent
and prosecute cybercrime." As Noble implies, residents of any country are eligible for the reward, as the Internet is a global community, and viruses affect users worldwide.
The program has been
funded initially with $5 million, and Microsoft announced the first reward in the amount of a quarter million for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the MSBlast.A, worm. Two
arrests have already been made in connection with the B and C versions of the MSBlast worm, but those responsible for the initial program this summer are still at large.
Microsoft is also posting
a second quarter million dollar reward for information leading to arrests related to the Sobig virus. The first variant of the Sobig virus was detected on Jan 10, 2003, but the virus didn't become
widespread until the middle of the summer. Sobig. attacked individual machines as email attachments that would spread the virus once it was opened, and then email itself to everyone on that person's
contact list. So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the Sobig. virus.
Microsoft has clearly made security a top priority in developing the Anti-Virus Reward Program, and the action
to do so comes at an especially important time for them, given the recent release of several new, interactive, B-to-B apps for the Microsoft Office System 2004, like the Live Communications Server.
Confidential transactions will depend upon security whichever way it is provided, by company IT departments, security software developers, or by law enforcement.