COMPUTER SECURITY AND PRIVACY

How Should Virus Authors Be Punished?

Recently, the author of an internet virus that caused millions or billions of dollars in alleged damages pleaded guilty to the crime and faced 18 to 37 months in prison - about the same as that for auto theft. The author of the Sasser worm, which shut down an airline, hospitals, and govermentsagencies, was sentenced to 21 months of probation after causing a similar amount of damage. Many experts and computer administrator claim that the punishment for the crime is out of proportion with the demages caused by the crime. Some legal experts claim that lax security on the part of Internet users is to blame, and perhaps those who help to spread the viruses via lax security should be punished as well. Others claim that some companies provide exorbiant estimates of true damages that viruses cause and that these alleged damages provoke an emotional overreaction to the crimes. The types of crimes and international extent of possible damages is relatively ne territory in crminal law. Should the goverment create new laws spectifically aimed at punishing those who spread viruses and worms? Why or why not? Should virus authors be punished in proportion to the alleged damages that they cause? why or why not? Because the Internet is an interational medium, how should countries coordinate law enforcements and punishment for virus authors?