Security news10 May 2006
Longest ever jail sentence for malware writer is not tough enough, reveals Sophos poll
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| Jeanson James Ancheta has been sentenced to a jail term of almost five years. |
The majority of computer users are disappointed by the jail sentence meted out by the US courts to Jeanson James Ancheta, the 21-year old who was yesterday imprisoned for seizing control of 400,000 PCs to install revenue-generating adware. Ancheta also sold access to the zombie network to others who wished to launch denial of service attacks and spam campaigns.
A web poll of 275 PC users, conducted by Sophos, found that 60% of respondents think Ancheta's 57 month jail sentence - which is the toughest ever handed out to a malware writer - is too soft. A mere 24% believe the punishment fits the crime, while just 16% feel it is too harsh.
"These results prove that there is little love lost between PC users and cybercriminals - there is a distinct lack of sympathy from legitimate IT users for those people who try to make their lives harder," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "Ancheta's crimes caused distress and financial loss to thousands of individuals and companies and, as a result, the US justice system came down on him tougher than ever seen before. But it seems this is still not enough for the majority of people."
Participants of the poll were also asked to suggest alternative punishments for virus writers. A common suggestion was that those convicted of cybercrimes should be banned for life from using PCs and other technology.
"PC users want cybercriminals neutralised. Many feel that the only way to achieve this in the long-term is to deprive hackers and virus writers of the thing they love and know the best - technology," continued Cluley.
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About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
