In the first case of its kind in Holland, the author of the Anna
Kournikova worm that infected millions of computers during February
has gone on trial. The prosecutor has asked that Jan de Wit, aged
20, receive a non-custodial sentence of 240 hours community
service. He also asked that de Wit's computer and a CD-ROM
containing viruses be permanently confiscated.
De Wit said shortly after releasing the e-mail worm that he did
so to test a claim that e-mail users had learned nothing from the
Love Bug virus of last May. The worm, a form of virus that
self-replicates, without actually altering files, threatened
overload systems in the sending of bulk e-mails. The worm was
carried in an e-mail attachment purporting to be a picture of
tennis star Anna Kournikova. The virus was only triggered by
opening the attachment.
De Wit is charged with spreading data through a computer network
with the intent to cause damage. The maximum sentence in Holland is
four years and a fine of up to 100,000 guilders (around
£28,000).
