By Will Sturgeon, 8 July 2005 13:58
NEWS The German 19-year-old who wrote the Sasser email virus, which caused havoc and huge financial damage to businesses worldwide last year, has escaped serious punishment.
Sven Jaschan left the court in Verden, Germany, today on probation with a 21-month suspended sentence, a move which is likely to anger both users and security experts. He is now free to return to his job at German security firm Securepoint.
Earlier this week, silicon.com heard from one security expert who said it is impossible to quantify the damage Sasser caused, adding only that it will have been "huge" in both financial and operational terms.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, said: "Even a year after his arrest, it is more likely that you will be infected by a worm written by Sven Jaschan than any other virus author."
And it's likely many will be queuing up to criticise the leniency of the German's sentence.
Cluley added it is likely Jaschan escaped jail due to his being arrested as a minor.
"Sven Jaschan avoided a jail sentence by the skin of his teeth because he was arrested within days of his eighteenth birthday. In many ways, Sven Jaschan was lucky that the police caught him when they did," he said.
But Cluley said Jaschan's legacy will now follow him through life - as will his notoriety.
"His name will always be associated with some of the biggest viruses in the history of the internet."
Dave Rand, chief technologist at Trend Micro, told silicon.com this is important as responsible security companies will want to make sure they give known virus writers a wide-berth during recruitment.
Rand said there should be no place for the likes of Jaschan in a responsible IT industry.
Comments
There are 5 comments. Join the discussion
1. Terry Dillon
Every responsible person in the world should boycott Securepoint for not dismissing this young felon. If we can't punish the person responsible for his associated crimes then we should punish Securepoint for not sharing the same view as those who have been effected by his endeavours.
2. anonymous
..If I went around smashing up thousands of PCs with a hammer, I'd soon get locked up..
3. anonymous
So an employee of Securepoint writes one of the biggest viruses, and Securepoint sell what exactly? Oh security software to stop, er, viruses.
Why hasn't he been sacked and banned from using a computer?
(Ed note. While we wholeheartedly disagree with Jaschan holding down a job in IT security it's important to point out he got his job with Securepoint AFTER he was first arrested for writing Sasser. That's why they employed him, so it's very unlikely they would now sack him.)
4. Giorgio Saldanelli
Ethics farewell? That criminal will even be payed by Securepoint. Boycott: yes!
5. anonymous
We are boycotting Securepoint products. They have no credibility as a security company.