Police Arrest Computer Virus Maker

An employee from Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture (Japan) named Masato Nakatsuji, is under police custody on charges that he developed a PC worm and propagated it online to wipe infected computers off their stored data, police stated.

Understandably, Nakatsuji erased computer property via a virus named "ika-tako" (squid octopus) that altered data file icons within contaminated PCs to comic octopus illustrations.

Police quoted the arrested man as saying that he wished to see whether or not he improved his programming skills. Moreover, he desired to punish people using file-sharing software, Nakatsuji had stated. The Japan Times published this in news on August 5, 2010. Incidentally, with file-sharing software, people normally copy copyrighted video or music illegally on the Internet.

In the current case, 27-year old Nakatsuji, who admitted that he destroyed computer databases, developed the worm during July last year (2009) and spread it one month later in August via file-sharing software.

Said the police that Nakatsuji created one file carrying the "ika-tako" virus, which was obtainable through 'Winny,' a file-sharing application, in his residence. When a Hokkaido man, aged 37, took down the malware online on his PC, his data was reportedly lost.

Reports also state that Nakatsuji accepted the allegations, but thought that police wouldn't arrest him the current time. Furthermore, Nakatsuji confessed to investigators that with the virus, he was able to infect approximately 50,000 individual PCs. According to a confirmation by the police, the virus caused some 20,000 computer users untold damages.

Notably, the police also stated that no other person in Japan before Nakatsuji was ever accused of damaging property through data tampering with the help of a PC virus. In another earlier crime, Nakatsuji was arrested in 2008 as well. At that time he had created one virus called Harada that made infected PCs exhibit a picture of a real human being named Harada.

The incident resulted in 'defamation' and 'Copyright Law violation' charges against Nakatsuji. Consequently, the Kyoto District Court, in May 2008, punished him with a 2-year imprisonment and a 3-year suspension. Besides, as Nakatsuji didn't appeal for relief, the ruling was settled.

Related article: Police Arrests Six Suspects Associated With TJX Credit Scam

» SPAMfighter News - 8/13/2010