Virus writers beware. The folks at F-Secure do more than detect viruses - they nab the writers of them. In a press release issued Feb 14, 2001, F-Secure provides details of the manhunt that resulted in the discovery of the virus author just two days after the worm was released in the wild. According to F-Secure, "their partner in Sweden, Atremo AB, was able to track and discover the writer of Kournikova virus." Atremo then contacted the FBI with details.

Much like a hunter following broken twigs and the occasional footprint, Atremo tracked the writer across the Internet, through posts to newsgroups, webforums and home pages. Though the writer used several different aliases and e-mail addresses, an unusual greeting was used that made it possible for Atremo to follow his path and document the evidence against him. The writer cited research claiming that "Surfing people haven't learned anything from the I Love You virus." Most likely, the research referenced was the recent cooperative survey compiled by IDC researchers and MessageLabs. Indeed, this survey found that a significant percentage would open an email titled I Love You - in spite of knowledge of the LoveLetter virus which travelled with the same moniker.

"While this may be true," responded Risto Siilasmaa, President and CEO at F-Secure, "you don't prove someone is ill-protected by attacking them. Sites around the world were impacted by a high volume of email, some of them receiving thousands of bogus messages. As a result of this irresponsible conduct, many email servers were shut down, leading to a decrease in productivity, a slowdown in customer service, and other unknown impacts."

The virus writer apparently tried to excuse his behavior by stating, "I never intended to harm the site [where the virus was hosted]" and "I never wanted to harm the people.... But after all: it's their own fault they got infected with the AnnaKournikova virus, OnTheFly virus or whatever they call it."

Such an attitude is common. In fact, even antivirus vendors urge user responsibility to stem the flow of viruses. Recommended involvement ranges from disabling scripting, to configuring file extension viewing and installing security patches. Are such security measures too difficult for the average user to undertake and is better protection needed? Can a novice computer user be expected to understand the need for and the methods required to fully secure a computer before foraying onto the Internet? You decide. Take the poll below and let the industry know if the key is education or better products.