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 8.6.2000 Security: Two hacker cases going a different way

 
Hacker "Mafiaboy" likely to face more charges 

The 15-year-old Canadian hacker known as "Mafiaboy," charged in April with two counts
of mischief in one of the biggest cyber attacks in history, is very likely to face more charges related to the jamming of several well-known Web sites, the Quebec prosecutor said on Wednesday. 

The hacker, known online as Mafiaboy, who cannot be identified under Canadian law because he is a juvenile, was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in April. He was charged in connection with a February 8 cyber attack that jammed CNN.com and up to 1,200
CNN-hosted Internet sites. 

Louis-Miville Deschenes, of the Quebec Court's Youth Chamber, told Reuters on Wednesday he intended to bring more charges against Mafiaboy by linking him to other Internet attacks the same day on sites such as Yahoo, Amazon.com, Buy.com and Excite that tied them up and left
them inaccessible for four hours.

"It is more than possible that I will bring more charges, it is a high probability," Deschenes said in an interview. "It is only a question of time before we lay the charges."

Deschenes denied a media report from the Canadian Press news agency stating that two more charges would be brought against the boy regarding the jamming of CNN.

"There won't be more charges about CNN," he told Reuters.

The teenager would face up to two years in a youth detention centre and a C$1,000 ($675 fine), if found guilty.

He has been released, but his bail conditions include not using a computer except for academic purposes and under the supervision of a teacher. He is also prohibited from connecting to the Internet or frequenting stores that sell computers or computer paraphernalia.

Police seized all the computers and related material found at the boy's home.

The February attacks alarmed Internet users around the globe, cost Web sites millions of dollars in revenue and shook the electronic commerce industry because of the apparent
ease with which major sites could be jammed.

($1=$1.48 Canadian)

Philippines drops case against ``Love Bug'' suspect

Philippine authorities said on Wednesday they had dropped a case against a bank worker suspected of involvement in the ``Love Bug'' virus.

Senior state prosecutor Jaafar Dimaampao said there was no law which could be used to prosecute 27-year-old Reonel Ramones.

``As far as Ramones is concerned, the case is closed,'' Dimaampao told reporters.

The prosecutor said the National Bureau of Investigation could not produce the extra evidence ordered by a court to allow a case against the man to proceed under the Access Device Act.

The act deals with illegal use of passwords for credit cards or bank accounts for money.

Ramones was arrested by NBI agents after a preliminary investigation of the origin of the ``Love Bug'' led to a flat which he shared with his girlfriend.

He was later freed by the Justice Department due to lack of evidence, but was made to face criminal charges.

Ramones claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.

The NBI has identified other possible suspects, including computer school dropout Onel de Guzman.

De Guzman's lawyer said his client may have accidentally sent out the virus by mistake.

NBI and Justice Department officials did not say if they would bring any charges against other suspects.

The computer virus, which appeared in emails titled ``I Love You,'' destroyed user files, stole passwords and passed itself on through the address books of affected computers.


 

 
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Revised: juin 08, 2000 .

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