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Mary's Antivirus Software Blog

By Mary Landesman, About.com Guide to Antivirus Software since 2000

Vigilante Hacker Gets Wink and Nod from FBI

Wednesday August 6, 2003
We live in a world where good and bad are often subjective, open to interpretations dependent upon which side of the fence you're on. Such is the case with Unknownuser, a computer hacker turned informant who used a Trojan to burrow inside the deepest recesses of a child pornographer's computer and then tipped the FBI off to the pervert's identity. This type of vigilante hacking has led to at least one conviction. Recently, the US Court of Appeals upheld evidence from the same hacker in a second child porn case. Antivirus vendor Sophos weighs in on the verdict, explaining why all malicious code must be detected, regardless of its seemingly noble purpose.
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