Framed for Child Porn by a PC Virus

FOX News ^ | FOX News

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

Of all the sinister things that Internet viruses do, this might be the worst: They can make you an unsuspecting collector of child pornography.

Heinous pictures and videos can be deposited on computers by viruses — the malicious programs better known for swiping your credit card numbers. In this twist, it's your reputation that's stolen.

Pedophiles can exploit virus-infected PCs to remotely store and view their stash without fear they'll get caught. Pranksters or someone trying to frame you can tap viruses to make it appear that you surf illegal Web sites.

Whatever the motivation, you get child porn on your computer — and might not realize it until police knock at your door.

An Associated Press investigation found cases in which innocent people have been branded as pedophiles after their co-workers or loved ones stumbled upon child porn placed on a PC through a virus. It can cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars to prove their innocence.

Their situations are complicated by the fact that actual pedophiles often blame viruses — a defense rightfully viewed with skepticism by law enforcement.

"It's an example of the old 'dog ate my homework' excuse," says Phil Malone, director of the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. "The problem is, sometimes the dog does eat your homework."

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I had a virus planted in my Windows XP Media Center 2005 laptop - that plastered a “Hot Gay Sex - 1-800-XXX-XXXX” image in the center of my desktop. I could not get rid of it short of doing a system restore after a full re-formatting the hard drive. That was the quintessential nuisance.

[WVKayaker]

One more reason why I love my Mac...

[DB]

I don't think the police/DA should ruin someones life when a computer virus explains the situation they are reviewing. I think they have an obligation to have definitive evidence of a crime beyond a computer virus infection to prosecute someone for this.

[USNBandit]

My mother in law used to look at her email when she was on vacation at a local library......so I sent her an email with an attachment that was supposed to be pictures of the kids. Instead when you opened it sounded a siren and had "DOWNLOADING PORN" in huge letters flashing on the screen.

Interestingly, all the guys in the family thought it was pretty funny, but the women folk didn't think so.

[Tenacious 1]

This is a tough one and the criminals are often ahead of the law these days.

My brother in law is an IT Tech for a firm that contracts to doctors and hospitals. He says you would be amazed at what he finds on computers and you would be more amazed at whose computers he finds them on.

I asked him if he ever finds anything illegal. “I am not sure what is legal and what is not. These are our customers often times or their employees. Unless what he finds is the reason for the problem, he deletes or erases or mentions it to his client when it is his client’s employee or subordinate.

[DB]

It isn’t that tough.

Ruining someones life by a false charge is far, far worse than letting the guilty get away with their viewing of child porn.

If you catch someone selling child porn, bury them.

[Forgotten Amendments]

Making kiddie porn is rape - the worst kind.

But this is yet another reason why just looking @ sick pictures should not be a crime.

Also, bad cops now stash kiddie porn on a scene or computer just like they drop illegal guns or drugs when they want to frame a guy. I used to think that was paranoid cop-hating talk. But, it happens.

The time has arrived when everyone has something felonious on their hard drive - whether they know it or not (you don’t think some nasty Obama post you read can be construed as a “terrorist threat” by Big Brother if they really want to nail you?).

[Spktyr]

I once found child porn on an employee computer at a client’s facility. I installed monitoring software/devices and found that it was the actual employee who was browsing it during work hours and not some virus.

I made damn sure the entire f*cking world landed on him.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

I don't think the police/DA should ruin someones life when a computer virus explains the situation they are reviewing. I think they have an obligation to have definitive evidence of a crime beyond a computer virus infection to prosecute someone for this.

You need to read this...

High court weighs immunity afforded to prosecutors

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/04/AR2009110404753_pf.html

[Waryone]

Thank you for what you did. If only more people would think to do that instead of leaving it for the next person to stop these sick disgusting freaks.

[DB]

Thanks.

Amazing.

No prosecutor can be given cart blanche to do what they want. They can't be beyond the law. If a prosecutor manufactures evidence that should be a criminal matter, not a civil matter.

[DB]

Thank God most criminals are stupid...

[E Rocc]

If more people used Macs, there’d be virii for them too.

[A CA Guy]

When something pops up you can do a 1-2 day search for new files and weed out the problem.
About the worst thing you can do is close the computer.

If anything like that happens try what I said and see if that helps first.

[Spktyr]

They write virii for cell phones with less than 50,000 users and music players with less than 15,000 possible victims. They even write virii for software firewalls with a max of 1000 possible
infections.

Number of users has nothing to do with it.

[AUH2O Repub]

I don't think the police/DA should ruin someones life when a computer virus explains the situation they are reviewing. I think they have an obligation to have definitive evidence of a crime beyond a computer virus infection to prosecute someone for this.

---

Hahhaha. That's a good one! You're confusing the police/DA with someone that cares about justice instead of their conviction rate.

[Bobalu]

I write software, I could create a virus that would blow your Mac sky high.

I’m absolutely certain that one of those 170 IQ geeks living in his Mom’s basement could do far worse.

It is the fact that so few people use Macs that keeps you safer, better pray that Mac remains a small player.

The twisted but brilliant freaks that create malware want a big audience, so they waste no time on the Mac.

[WVKayaker]

If more people used Macs, there’d be virii for them too.

If more idiots used their brains, they'd know better than to make ignorant remarks like that. Macs are immune to virii because of the inherent security of its operating system. The "security through obscurity" argument would make sense if there were not such stakes at risk (along with the MILLIONS of Macs). Anyone who successfully gets into a Mac will have to first persuade the users to give it permission to load... and will make history.

The most attacked platform is Windows because of it's poorly designed and implemented operating system. It has nothing to do with any alleged number of units available. One guy wrote a virus to attack the iPhone, which is afar smaller community than Mac users. The Virus did not go far, and was unable to replicate itself!

My Mac is not running any anti-viral software. I don't need it. YMMV (especially if you use Windoze!).

[WVKayaker]

I write software, I could create a virus that would blow your Mac sky high.

hahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahaha ......

I've got a $100 bill here, so get started with your attack. I'll be happy to provide my address if you're too stupid to find it. I doubt you can even get that far. Lot's of people "write software", but none have cracked an OSX Mac in the wild.

I have four Macs running on this desk. Which one do you prefer? I have one running OSX 10.4, two running OSX 10.5, and a G4 running 10.3 Server. I can get more money in the pool within an hour.

Let me know my password, and I'll give you the $$$$!

[John Leland 1789]

Please, let’s not encourage any more people to write more viruses.

In China computer science students sit around in groups and have contests to see who can write the best viruses. These bugs end up all over the place over here, and worldwide, I’m sure.

MACs might not be very susceptible to them if you go by the soaring MAC sales in China. People are desparately trying to keep their units clean.

Big companies over here hire these punks to write very intrusive advertising intended to get around spam blockers and pop-up blockers. My systems alert me to a cookie being blocked about every three minutes all day long, every day.

We have a half dozen students living with us, all with computers. No MACs. They all run up-to-date virus protection. None of them go to porn sites or other dangerous places. But they are constantly complaining about their systems being intruded upon, or serious attemps being made at it.

[WVKayaker]

I am urging people to buy Macs for protection, FRiend. There will be no virus written today to target my Macs.

In America, Russia, Germany, etal, you will also find those types trying to be first. China is not alone in trying. There is no reason for me to beware.

Just call me Alfred!

[Bobalu]

For 100$ I would give you about 10 minutes of programming time.

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about!

Clueless, in the extreme.

The Mac OS is perhaps 100x more secure than Windows, this means a good hacker would take a few days to totally control the box vs a few hours for Win.

The only possible way to have real security is to totally control both the hardware and the software of a system...you control neither my FRiend.

Apple fanboyz are comical:-)

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=mac+virus&aq=f&aqi=g10&oq=&fp=8bd4816e1661ba1a

[WVKayaker]

You can bark at the moon, but it doesn't make it move...

You can't do squat to my Mac and you know it. Your comments reveal that you may know some code, but you have no clue about reality!

Go back to playing your games. You may have a chance there!

[AppyPappy]

Everyone uses this excuse until they have to explain the alphabetized CD’s of images in a desk drawer.

It is possible you could be used in this way but very unlikely. It’s a lot of work for no payoff.

[WVKayaker]

From another discussion on the security issue:

There are “problems” and then there are “PROBLEMS.” If I can run my Mac OS X computers for eight years without having to take steps to assure their security, that is no where a problem for me and other Mac users... it doesn’t even rise to the level of a “problem.” It has been even possible to run a Mac without a firewall. Quite frankly, until it rises far above where the level is now, it just is not a problem. Have software engineers at Apple had to consider the potential for a problem and do something to prevent it? Yes. For them, perhaps you could call it a problem. Not for users.

For those same eight years every user of the other major platform had to take proactive protective steps that still might not have been enough to prevent the invasion of their computers. Numerous computers invaded by malware have cost billions of dollars in clean up and lost productivity. That has been a “PROBLEM.”

The perception, Discostu, is that you have continually made the case that the there is a problem for all, as though the problems are equal. We have been saying that is not the case.

109 posted on November 7, 2009 4:41:42 PM EST by Swordmaker (Remember, the proper pronunciation of IE is “AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies | Report Abuse]

To: discostu; Swordmaker
> You know what’s worse than you blatant lies about what I said? It’s your condescension. And then of course you’re complete unwillingness to admit you were wrong. Here’s my last word, the proof that you’re a liar, the proof that I never said what you said I said, and the proof that you can’t admit you’re wrong: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2378046/posts?page=46#46 All OSes have the problem, maybe not as bad as Windows but they still have it.
Look, I apologize for the condescension, but my god, man, please try to understand something:

The point is not that attacks exist. Of course they do. We all agree that they do, against all systems. Lay that one down, we agree.
The point is that they are INEFFECTIVE against a very robust system like Unix, yet EFFECTIVE against comparatively non-robust Windows, still after all this time and improvement.

That’s all I’ve been trying to say. There are NO EFFECTIVE viruses for Unix or OS-X. A properly patched Unix system is robust — it doesn’t have the problem. A properly patched Windows system is still vulnerable to tons of viruses — it still has the problem. That’s what matters, man. That was the point of the article, and the point of the thread. Try to get this, please, I’ll say it again:
Attacks exist, for all systems.
What matters is only whether they are effective at damaging your system. If you repel them successfully, they are not a problem for you.

You keep talking about attacks that don’t work against Unix. WHO BLOODY CARES ABOUT THE ONES THAT DON’T WORK??? They don’t work, they don’t matter, they’re NOT A PROBLEM. Sheesh.
110 posted on November 7, 2009 5:50:15 PM EST by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies | Report Abuse]

[AppyPappy]

At work, we use Mac’s for doorstops. The vast majority of our Macs are running Windows most of the time. When a piece of software failed and the user tried to get help, they heard “Sorry, You are on a Mac. We can’t help you”.

Linux is easier to use than a Mac now.

[WVKayaker]

Linux is easier for whom to use? I can run Linux on my Macs. So what? I can run an easier OSX.

Your doorstops were using Windoze because it runs faster on a Mac... but nobody can keep Windoze safe and running! Maybe you ought to find some real IT people who know how do more than reloading a defective Windoze 'puter from infection! Gotta keep FreeCell going!

[ArrogantBustard]

Your wonderful mac is a unix box.

Aeons ago, when I was a unix sysadmin, one of my colleagues (also a unix admin) had one of his machines get 'cracked' ... the crackers set up a gay pornographic chat site on it.

We all learned a bit about account and password security from that.

Many of the vulnerabilities that the queer crackers exploited have since been fixed, in almost all (if not all) mainstream *nix implementations. Including your mac.

But don't get cocky.

[WVKayaker]

So why did you post a picture of yourself? It's disgusting.

It's not about worship, FRiend. I worship Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all.

I use Macs because I'm apparently more intelligent than others... ****

U.S. Army to Instigate Wider Mac Implementation

"The U.S. Army's office of enterprise information systems is introducing Mac computers to its systems, it is hoped the move will render the Army less open to attack from hackers. Further, by having Macs as part of their system, it is less likely a single attack will take effect across the whole network. These new measures come at a time when the security of digital information has increasingly been under threat..."

[paulycy]

That may be the single most disgusting pic I’ve ever seen on FR.

[WVKayaker]

My Mac is a computer produced with a combination of strict hardware control and software implementation. I don't know of another successful company to compete against them. many of the engines used in Nascar come from the same shop, regardless of platform (Dodge, Toyota, Ford, Chevy). Kyle Bush had his 61st win this season, and has led 40% of the total laps this year by anybody.

Why are you pimping for Unix/Linux? I didn't know they made computers?

I don't need to get cocky. I use a Mac.

[ArrogantBustard]

Your mac is a unix box. Apple put a candy-coloured GUI on BSD and called it OS X.

What? You didn't know that?

Ignorance is not something to be proud of.

I don't need to get cocky. I use a Mac.

< shrug >

It's your funeral.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

SHHHhh!

Ignorant Liberal newbies need to bask in their arrogance. The lesson is still coming for this one.

[WVKayaker]

Ignorant Liberal newbies need to bask in their arrogance.

So, you're an ignorant liberal newbie?

I learn something new every day!

[Maverick68]

wha?

[WVKayaker]

Your mac is a unix box. Apple put a candy-coloured GUI on BSD and called it OS X.

What? You didn't know that?

My brother was a USAF computer guy. After two years building an intranet system in Korea (1980's), he came back to work stateside. He'd spent 20 years from a radioman to running systems in underground MD.

He spent 5 months in Caliphornia learning UNIX for the phone company, then decided to pimp digital ISP.'s. He recommended the Mac to me in 1984. I bought a FatMac, with a 512k ROM. I had a 5 MEGABYTE internal GCC Hyperdrive installed, and bought an ImageWriter 24 pin. I was building houses. I've done well, and have many iterations on my shelf. All of them still do as designed, though I don't have much use for a 2400 baud modem these days.

I've used Macs because they work. They just work. GUI is quite nice. Seems that even Windoze has tried and failed to do it as well as Apple. I don't see anybody else doing well, either. Apple stock is still doing well, without the Wall Street boys hopping on. $100 dollars invested in AAPL in 2002 could be worth the better part of a $million now! Apple's market cap is 2/3 that of MSFT.

Get a Mac and you'll never go back.

[WVKayaker]

Should read:... $1000 dollars invested in AAPL in 2002 ...

[HenpeckedCon]

Wow.

[CA Conservative]

Also, bad cops now stash kiddie porn on a scene or computer just like they drop illegal guns or drugs when they want to frame a guy. I used to think that was paranoid cop-hating talk. But, it happens.

Ummm... They might try, but any forensic computer examiner worth his salt will quickly determine that the images were loaded on the system after it was seized. I work with cops quite often on investigations, and while most of them are great guys, very few of them have any clue about computers. So I would say the situation you describe would be extremely rare and would get caught right away.

[TankerKC]

I use Macs because I'm apparently more intelligent than others...

Wow. Get help.

[WVKayaker]

Wow. Get help.

Help for what?

I can back up my claims, but apparently don't have a need. You make my point with emphasis. Ignorance can be cured. There's no cure for stupid.

Thanks for playing.

[TankerKC]

Help for what?

Your superiority complex. Over what...an appliance?

[WVKayaker]

pwnd

[Lee N. Field]

My brother in law is an IT Tech for a firm that contracts to doctors and hospitals. He says you would be amazed at what he finds on computers and you would be more amazed at whose computers he finds them on.

No, I absolutely wouldn't be surprised. I've seen some doozies, just in the normal course of fixing people's stuff.

[Lee N. Field]

One more reason why I love my Mac...

(Which of course goes double for my Linux boxes.)

[WVKayaker]

pwnd another one...

[TChris]

I use Macs because I'm apparently more intelligent than others.

LOLOLOL!

Wow!

You didn't REALLY just post that, did you?

Just... wow.