Earth's Deadliest [Computer] Viruses: ILOVEYOU

a magnitude 6.5

earth

quake is shaking the foundations of the bandgai islands 150 million kilometers away mars mercury venus jupiter saturn the moon and the sun all coming together in a rare astronomical event there at the equator it is early in the morning the student presents an idea for a senior thesis says that the Internet has become too expensive for the average person. His solution can create a program that would recover other people's account logins and hijack their Internet. Obviously it wouldn't release the error. He just wants to prove that he can do it before he graduates. dean's response the student writes the last line of code that he originally developed as geology to maintain a security network but at the last minute out of pure curiosity he removes the geographic restriction wrapped in the universal message of peace the file appears to be from a secret admirer a Once opened, the full extension of the file is revealed.

This is a Visual Basic script. It uses an exploit on early

computer

systems that allows it to execute system code simply by opening it. The top two files are sent to the Windows system folder where the bottom one awaits. is sent to the Windows directory where it creates its own key in the registry of the local machine, this causes other programs to run as soon as the system boots, before the user has a chance to log in from there, opens Internet Explorer and randomly selects from a Once it arrives, it downloads a series of four web pages, downloads windbugsfex.exe, then adds another registration key on the startup line, collects the system login password, IP address and remote access information, packages it carefully and mails it to super.net.ph.

After sending the details, the worm looks for files containing extensions like dot js or dot css, overrides them with the file extension, does the same with jpegs and mp3s, leaving them completely unrecoverable once the damage is done, the worm enters to Outlook to search for emails and then sent using the author's email address the destruction is now spreading through a message of peace and love you are watching interrupts television from the philippines to hong kong the virus has infected several large corporations and banks, not only deleting important files within the companies that capture the email lists of all individuals in contact from there it jumps to Europe where a particular damage to the email servers within the chamber of the Commons are forced to close the same with Denmark's parliament with classified documents in danger of being deleted the US air force implemented a system called asim.

It works using 144 sensors that the Air Force had previously placed at bases across the country. It then creates a sort of window for the centralized command to see the incoming emails when the email matches the description. The command sends a TCP reset to that desktop. telling you to stop receiving emails by variable enough sector is not so lucky most companies are using Outlook, including Att and Ford, are forced to take their email servers offline, the virus has affected almost 55 million

computer

s along with the emails that have a second propagator. has been identified within the original files, one is called m irc.ini.

This scans the computer for an irc client. If found, it automatically sends the exploit to all contacts the victim can share on a server instead of a love letter, although it sends this message with thought. it's a legitimate file, tech savvy irc users would recognize the name of the mirc author, it's only after running the script, but they know it had nothing to do with it. Security analysts are scanning the virus for clues to its origin. The internal component looks a lot like a so-called password cracker that was discovered four months earlier. They find signed names and resumes in it.

An entry that says that in the resume part there is an extended list of first and last names along with a group title dating back to a later time. school club in a computer science college in the philippines an apartment is classified inside there is a man a woman and an empty desk with a dusty outline of a gateway performance 1500 the man now identified as romo ramones is the boyfriend of irene de guzman who is the older sister of a college student the student's name happens to be on the list you will find it much clearer than usual as you drive east that was the love shack next to the b52s you are listening to 102.7 kiss fm folks it's a sunny 75.5 degrees in los angeles and today is not just any friday folks you know what I'm talking about it's a Porsche Friday you know the rules dial the line if you're the caller 102 , a new force of 50,000 is yours to ride off into the California sunset as soon as the prince's kiss starts playing those lines are open get your thumbs ready three two one let's roll barely recognizable as our current website this is before.coms and dot orgs the pseudo name just appeared a phone number for arpanet was the first wide area network that allowed different connections to send information to each other aka packet switching try connecting to the number through your home modem , he most certainly gained access to the university of california at berkeley, diving deeper and discovers there are possible government documents hidden behind a password trying to guess test u c b over the next few weeks dante continues to log in for him it's less about getting confidential information or leak it more than gaining power by snooping to see how far you can cross the line on your deep dives, you make a fatal mistake, you forget to mask your login name, this mistake raises a silent flag miles away in an office security without Kevin knowing, continues, the boy opens the door, is met by the Los Angeles prosecutor and his computer is confiscated.

But since he is a minor, he is not charged in the back of a Menlo Park storage facility. Two workers are cleaning unpaid storage units. It's a break from routine work. They open the lock. They take out the belongings. They auction what they can, but in this particular unit. finds something the stanford research institute one of the centers impacted by the previous escapades approaches kevin and offers him to work for them securing his network the 18 year old is hired he has a condominium a few blocks from the main entrance of sri passes From his days working on encryption algorithms for secure military communications, he has successfully transitioned from an underground black hat hacker to a white hat hacker with a paycheck.

Menlo Park Police Detective James Neal believes he is looking at the standard stolen property case to which the storage bill is assigned. a john anderson a quick search discovers that this name is false upon closer inspection of the unit the detective finds blank IDs and a document containing an unpublished number of the soviet embassy a few pages back another document containing the name the national office of research issues a mandatory court appearance for two students, onnell de guzman, who originally proposed the thesis, and michael buenos, who is suspected of helping write the structure of the worm, are nowhere to be found, the worm continues to spread, although the effects are beginning to weaken at a press conference guest of honor o'nell de guzman is called out when asked if he is the one who unleashed the virus states and a question if he feels anything about the damage caused looks ahead down almost nothing and covers his ears being the first large scale computer crimes outside the philippines the authorities have trouble charging him with anything in the following months, the philippine congress passed legislation dealing with computer related crimes, but Since this was made official after a stunt, he ultimately cannot be charged in the case. against him is reduced to credit card fraud he never admits to having created the virus only that he may have inadvertently released the program all charges against him are dropped in total the estimated damages are said to exceed the deletion files and another for cleanup twenty years later finally admits to creating the virus and releasing it he said he did it on his own yes as you can see a lot of ebs files have been written and no they have been overwritten it won't boot right now a cybersecurity specialist is on it deep into an organization's infrastructure, it is well equipped to deal with any situation that may arise, but it started from the basics: offering computer science courses at a fraction of the cost of traditional university fees, whether you are looking to become a network engineer, cybersecurity specialist, or simply want to learn valuable information about The Computer Science Foundation course will introduce computational thinking ranging from everyday tasks to complex algorithm topics including decision trees that computers use to reduce the mini into one or computational problem solving that presents complex real-world problems in an easy-to-follow format that you can prepare for. a career path and calculations through shiny.org, disruptive bar for free or, if you want to unlock all 60+ courses, the first 200 people to sign up will get a 7-day premium trial plus 20 off subscription annual, calculate the future at shiny.org. .org interrupts the welcome back polson is brought in for questioning he denies everything a few hours later they escort him to his condo inside they find a room full of more equipment one of these is the alignment headphones this device can be connected wherever there are cables exposed telephone accessible when connected to a line, the telephone is essentially indistinguishable from normal telephones, except that it can intercept active calls, answer incoming calls, and make outgoing calls (back then you needed a license to operate it, something Kevin lacks, They confiscate some of the equipment and begin their investigation.

Among the documents and equipment obtained, they find a series of photographs of a thin young man crouching and advancing in a Pacific Bell trailer. Other photographs show the same subject inside the telephone trailer posing with it for the last four years. Polson has been finding a particular thrill in dumpster diving, this will be his last chance to obtain the old IDs and use them to gain access to physical networks. FBI agents silently surround Kevin's home in North Hollywood, then the leader's phone rings, the agents immediately scan the calm only to be led directly. to a Pacific Bell number instead of jumping and leaving the country Kevin decides to stay close to home dyes his hair a different color adopts a new identity to get some quick money uses his phone line skills in an overly easy scheme: Sorry, all of our reps are still attending, it's a sunny 75.5 degrees in Los Angeles and today is not just any Friday, folks, you know what I'm talking about, it's Porsche Friday, you know the rules, three, two, one, let's go.

Kevin flips a switch and blocks all other callers from reaching the line. Now any line that is answered will be redirected to him, including the number 102. Congratulations, you have won a new Porsche, who is the lucky winner. Wow, I can't believe it, this is Michael Michael. b peters one can only speculate about what motivated kevin polson those who knew him before he fled agree that he is a brilliant young man with an unusual talent, possibly a genius, but now he is a wanted man facing up to 37 years in prison , a television show just aired an episode about Kevin's tricks.

The show opens its phone lines to callers who may have advice on the topics in the premiere of this particular episode. The phone lines are blocked during their time keeping low. Control the vice squad, a division focused on public order crimes such as narcotics and gambling, arrest Kevin for an undisclosed misdemeanor, although they eventually release him for failing to check the federal warrant database. The feds received a tip that Kevin still lives in Los Angeles. They questioned some of their people. He says he frequents. They go to the store, give the employees their photo and wait.

Brian Bridges is working the night shift. He sees a familiar face. Kevin has dyed his hair light blonde, but it's not enough. The store employee calls the authorities to make sure Kevin doesn't see him at that moment. they arrive kevin is gone for the next 24 hours duty officer terry watches the parking lot kevin stopsterry takes a position at the front door two employees sneak up behind kevin and tackle him to the ground hearing the commotion terry runs in and handcuffs him, they take him to the back room until transportation can arrive, as if on cue, Kevin begins to complain that his eyes are watering and asks her to take out his contacts and get the glasses out of a bag in his car.

Terry accepts and retrieves the bag. but he checks it before handing it to her, sure enough, in the glasses case there is a universal handcuff key. Polson is being held in federal prison. He calls his sister and mentions that the police quote that she recognizes the phrase and calls one of Kevin's hacker friends. who subsequently recovers an incriminating computer from an undisclosed location, however the police are one step ahead months before they recruited a local hacker to infiltrate the local hacker ring. He rings the doorbell and the incriminating computer is intercepted. It takes them almost nine months to decipher it.

Nearly two years after his arrest, Polson is charged with 19 counts including conspiracy fraud in connection with access devices, interception of wire or electronic communications, and money laundering. He faces 100 years in prison and nearly 5 million in fines. This is considered one of the first. Large-scale cases against the new crime of computer hacking, if successfully charged, hope to send a clear message to the hacker community of the mid-90s. Eventually, Polson pleads guilty to several counts of computer fraud, mail fraud , electronic fraud and money laundering. He has been ordered to pay $58,000. in fines and with a sentence of 51 Kevin is placed on court-ordered probation banned from using computers for the first time in the 2000s flips the switch gets access okay, here's the question: did I ever consider leaving California all together?

Nationwide, I did consider it, but I think this might be part of the hacker mentality. I wanted to solve the problem, not run away from it. Hey, I was thinking about how everyone in the world has their own consciousness, their own lives, everything, everyone that's alive is living, so I thought about uh, how much computer processing power would it take to simulate? uh, everyone is aware. I'm not saying our universe is simulated. Actually, I don't believe in that theory. All I'm saying is stop for a moment and think about how much processor power it would take to simulate everyone's consciousness.

Another thing: would that power be shared equally? Would some people get more power than others? Maybe I don't know, thank you, goodbye, our intelligent humor lives in a labyrinth.