Computer Virus Charges Sought - Assignment Example

1. The creator of the “I LOVE YOU VIRUS,” Onel de Guzman, was a Pilipino hacker operating in the late 1990s. He acted alone by most accounts, but some say that he was assisted by a friend named Reomel Lamores (Isabel, Landler).2. According to Guzman, he programmed the virus merely to practice his programming skills. He says that programming viruses is one of the greatest challenges a programmer can face. He contends that he did not intend for the virus to spread, a contention held up in court.

He also programmed several other viruses during his studies and even proposed one as his thesis project, giving some credence to the fact that he did not intend to spread this particular virus (Guzman). 3. The I Love You Virus, as one of the first major viruses since the internet exploded in the late 90s and early 2000s, shook people’s faith in the internet as a secure place. It also taught users that they had to be very careful of attacks that take advantage of their emotional state (by encouraging them to click/download something in order to cause a virus on their computer), such as the “I love you” message or other questionable content.4. Guzman did not face any direct punishment for his crimes.

Though Pilipino authorities tried to charge with a variety of crimes from theft to criminal mischief, none of the charges landed because of lack of evidence and the fact that the Pilipino criminal justice system was simply not set up to deal with cyber attacks. His name, however, will forever be associated with this virus and he will have a hard time finding employment in the future (Landler). I think that this punishment might fit the crime – it’s impossible for someone to make reparations for billions of dollars worth of damages, and people need to take some responsibility for their own internet behavior.

If Guzman didn’t do this, someone else would have."CNN - Transcript: Onel De Guzman - September 26, 2000." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. .Landler, Mark. "A Filipino Linked to Love Bug Talks About His License to Hack - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. .Kershner, Isabel, and Mark Landler. "TECHNOLOGY; Computer Virus Charges Sought - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. .