X-Message-Number: 5184
From:  (David Stodolsky)
Subject: Fwd: Virus Writer Christopher Pile (Black Barron) Sent to Jail
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 95 20:28:15 +0100


Forward of letter <v02120d02acce702a4280@[193.62.83.4]> from 
 (Dennis Jackson):

Reply-To: 
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 15:51:51 +0000
To: uk-security%, ,
From:  (Dennis Jackson)
Subject: Virus Writer Christopher Pile (Black Barron) Sent to Jail

posted to ....

comp.virus                      alt.security
comp.security.misc
            
                

PUBLIC RELEASE    UNLIMITED DISTRIBUTION

Virus Writer Christopher Pile (Black Barron) Sent to Jail for 18 Months
Wednesday 15 November 1995

Exeter, England

A short while ago Christopher Pile was sentenced to 18 months

Using the pseudonym Black Barron, Christopher Pile the unemployed  year
old from Efford, Plymouth created the viruses Pathogen, Queeg and Smeg. At
his trial on th May 1995, Pile pleaded guilty to eleven charges arising
from his creation and release of these viruses. Ten counts related to
instances where organisations had suffered unauthorised modification of
their computer data by one of these viruses. The eleventh charge relates to
inciting others to create computer viruses and hence cause unauthorised
modifications.

Although Pile's trial was in May the sentencing was delayed until November
to allow both defence and prosecution counsel to argue the seriousness of
these crimes. Pile's viruses were available on computer bulletin boards and
on systems connected to the global Internet.

Christopher Pile is the first person in the United Kingdom to be convicted
of writing and distributing computer viruses. He is the first person in the
world to be convicted of inciting others to create computer viruses. At the
trial in May, Judge Jeremy Griggs described the case as unique and said it
was "a dangerous practice to have engaged in".

In October 1992 three Cornell University students were each sentenced to
several hundred hours community service for creating and disseminating a
computer virus.

Unauthorised modification of information in a computer system is an offence
under section 3 of the United Kingdom's Computer Misuse Act 1990. The
maximum punishment under this section is five years imprisonment or an
unlimited fine or both.



Dennis Jackson                                  tel: 01235 822340
JANET-CERT Coordinator                          fax: 01235 822398
UKERNA                                          





David S. Stodolsky      Euromath Center     University of Copenhagen
   Tel.: +45 38 33 03 30   Fax: +45 38 33 88 80 (C)


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