The Sasser’s writer caught
BERLIN – A German whiz kid who confessed to writing a crippling computer worm that caused chaos around the world may have, been trying to help his mother’s small
“PC Help” business, state prosecutors said on May 10. Sven, Jaschan, an 18 year old who has just graduated from vocational school, was detained last week, and admitted to being the mastermind behind the fast-spreading Sasser worm.
He was released hours later without having to pay bail because authorities said they did not fear he would flee. He’s a young man who’s been working with computers for years. The company he works for is involved in computer maintenance. Authorities were looking at the possibility that the youth may has been trying to top the efforts of other programmers by creating a superior worm but had been surprised by the damage it had caused.
He also may face damage claims from victims — ranging from US carrier Delta Airlines to Australia’s Westpac Bank, Goldman Sachs and the British coast guard – whose computers were hit by the worm, written in Jaschan’s basement room in the small town of Waffensen, population 920.
Neither Jaschan, who has been described as shy and somewhat withdrawn by neighbors and classmates at his vocational school, nor his mother has made any comment to German media. There was only an answering machine on the phone at the Waffensen business called “PC Help” that said: “Unfortunately no one is home now to answer your questions. Please try later.” Jaschan’s father, Rainer, and his stepmother, Sabine, told RTL television that the teenager had had no intention of causing damage and was actually working on antidotes.
Source: The News
Date:5/12/2004
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