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 Author of famous computer worms gets job at a security company
September 21, 2004
German security company Securepoint has hired self-confessed creator of the destructive NetSky and Sasser worms to work as a trainee software developer focusing on company's security products. Sven Jaschan, who was charged this month with computer sabotage, may still go to prison for creating one of the most destructive computer viruses to date. No concrete trial date has been set yet, and Jaschan has been employed by Securepoint since September, 1, but news of his appointment emerged last weekend only, taking many in the security industry by surprise.
"It's very important that the security community does not send out a message that writing viruses or worms is cool, or a route into employment," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos." Jaschan is infamous for his involvement in the Sasser and Netsky worm outbreaks - it might have been less controversial if he had found employment in another part of the IT industry."
The skills needed to develop security software are different from those required to write malicious codes.
"He has some know-how but not a high level of skills in software development. He was the best from people who wanted a job," said Securepoint's technical director Lutz Hausmann. "Jaschan did a bad thing but that doesn't make him a bad person. He's interested in making things better. This is positive rehabilitation."
There remains one persistent question: how would Securepoint's potential customers feel about buying security software from a company employing the world's most notorious computer virus writer? "I'm sure most people have serious doubts about a security company hiring a virus writer. No doubt Securepoint will have to explain their decision over and over again," said Mikko Hypponen, director of anti-virus research at Finnish AV firm F-Secure
"But in a way I'm happy Sven gets a second chance. After all, we really should try to rehabilitate criminals to enter normal working life again and to become a productive part of the society. Just like in real life many companies avoid hiring ex-convicts but everybody agrees somebody should do it. So in that sense we should be glad that Securepoint is doing this."
Hypponen noted that Jaschan was trying to create a virus that "attacked other viruses written by professional virus writers working along with spammers". "Sven's viruses removed viruses like Bagle and MyDoom and uninstalled spam proxies such as Mitglieder from infected computers. But of course, his viruses also caused huge amounts of damage - such as Sasser taking down X-Ray machines in hospitals in Sweden," Hypponen explained. F-Secure concludes that Jaschen was "more clueless than malicious".
Alleged criminal, Sven is nevertheless regarded as a local hero in German media, and many believe his talent will be useful and helpful in fighting cybercrime on the Net.
History has known of at least one close parallel to the news we have seen: Jan de Wit, Dutch author of the Anna Kournikova email worm, was invited to apply to his local council by the town mayor. Ultimately nothing came of his employment it really shows how virus writers can become local heroes.
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