Suspect Charged in Love Bug Case

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37322,00.html

Reuters
10:40 a.m. Jun. 29, 2000 PDT

MANILA -- The Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on
Thursday recommended prosecution of a computer school dropout
suspected of transmitting the "Love Bug" virus, which ravaged
computers worldwide.

NBI Director Federico Opinion said the bureau had asked the Department
of Justice to charge Onel de Guzman, 24, with theft and violation of
the Access Device Regulation Act, the closest laws investigators could
find that could apply in the case.

The Access Device Act covers the illegal use of passwords specifically
for credit cards and bank transactions. The Philippines only ratified
an anti-hacking law early this month -- weeks after the "Love Bug"
virus hit computers around the world, causing $7 billion in damages.

"We believe now that we have a good case against him," Opinion told
reporters. "It is the position of the NBI that this person be hailed
as criminally liable."

The NBI recommended de Guzman's prosecution in a formal complaint to
the Department of Justice that will decide if there is enough evidence
to elevate the charges in court.

Opinion said the NBI had not yet spoken to de Guzman, a dropout from a
local computer school, but his lawyer had told the bureau they would
make their case at a preliminary investigation to be conducted by
justice department prosecutors.

De Guzman's lawyer previously said his client might have accidentally
sent out the virus and had meant no harm.

"He will be summoned by the prosecutor to file his counteraffidavit
and present his own evidence," Opinion said, adding that the NBI did
not have any evidence that others were involved in the spread of the
virus.

Violation of the Access Device Act carries a penalty of from six to 20
years' imprisonment while theft is punishable by three to six years.

The NBI said among its evidence is de Guzman's school thesis dealing
with a program similar to the virus, logs from local Internet firms
and a diskette with a virus akin to the "Love Bug."

The NBI's investigation unearthed four hacked email accounts --
"youngis," "angelcat," "koichi," and "chu" -- all under local service
provider Sky Internet, which was used to spread the virus.

Two other email addresses from another Internet service firm were used
as a destination for passwords stolen by the virus from victims, NBI
investigators said.

The "Love Bug" destroyed computer files, stole passwords, and
replicated itself through the address books of affected computers.

Meneses said the NBI would not charge 40 other people identified in a
similar virus program allegedly found in de Guzman's Manila flat.

"We believe that he is alone in doing this," Meneses said.

Early this month, the NBI dropped charges against its first suspect,
Reonel Ramones, who lived in the same flat with de Guzman.

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