How Hackers Are Caught Computer Crimes, like Others, Often Leave a Trail

Kazak, David R., Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Last week someone, somewhere in the world pushed the "enter" button on a keyboard, and out from that machine slithered a computer virus.

Within days, 600,000 computer systems were crippled and $2.5 billion in business was lost, as techies from Boston to Bangkok struggled to contain the damage.

Investigators now believe the "I LOVE YOU" virus originated with one of three people in the Philippines. But just how did the cyber detectives winnow the list of suspects down to three out a possible 6 billion?

Relatively quickly. On Monday, an international pool of investigators arrested a Philippine bank employee, and are continuing to track his girlfriend and her computer-savvy, unemployed sister.

With only days between initial reports of the virus and …

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Publication information: Article title: How Hackers Are Caught Computer Crimes, like Others, Often Leave a Trail. Contributors: Kazak, David R. - Author. Newspaper title: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL). Publication date: May 9, 2000. Page number: 1. © 2009 Paddock Publications. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group.

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