I am not very computer saavy so bear with me on what may be a dumb question.
The people who create and send out viruses, Trojans, etc – what’s their reason for doing this? I can understand if it’s a financial thing ; attempting to gain access to credit card numbers, trying to break into some banks $, etc.
But if its done purely for malicious reasons…is this just a kind of "cyber vandalism"? Is this the computer equivalent of kids out breaking windows and smashing rural mailboxes with baseball bats? Do they get some satisfaction from knowing they have f**ked up other folks computers? Is it a way to take out their anger like a kid who shoots out the windows of new cars in a dealers lot with a BB gun?
I’ve read that it’s an ego thing with many hackers. A kind of oneupmanship with their peers/rivals – bragging rights for who hacked into some big system. They’re not necessarily trying to steal anything, they just want to boast.
Please to enlighten me!
First, I’ll address spyware. Spyware, most of the time, is used to try to get you to give up some personal info, like SS # or credit card numbers or passwords for purely financial gain. Nothing malicious in their intent concerning your machine, only your cash. Viruses, on the other hand, are usually, but not always, directed at your machine to either cripple it, take over control of it, use it as a gateway for illegal activity that can only be traced back to you, or other malicious reasons. Some virus authors are, as you alluded to, just in it for kicks and bragging rights. They either get a kick out of rubbing Microsofts’ face in the doo-doo, or brag about how they broke into the Pentagon system, or some other childish reason. For some, it’s a power trip. They revel in the fact that they defeated some sophisticated security system that some company bragged could not be broken. Much like the Tylenol scandal of a few years back, some virus authors just want to control some anonymous person, or people, without ever being caught. Some people need a hobby or a jail cell……
basically its stuck up people who have no money and nothing better to do than scram through peoples credit card detials
I think you hit it right on the head there =)
Initial viruses were created purely as a way to get reputation from peers, causing nuisance with no malicious intent. The current virus creators have realised that they can profit from it and thus giving rise to cyber criminals who infect computers with an intention of stealing identity by sending worms, phishing, etc.
Today it’s all about making money.
Perhaps Eugene Kaspersky, founder of anti-virus maker Kaspersky Labs said it best, " It’s a different world today. 10 years ago, we were fighting against smart kids who hacked as a hobby. Now, we’re dealing with criminal gangs that control your computer to make money. Different world, different protections."
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2074772,00.asp?kc=EWEWEMNL121806EP24A