Worm Suspect Said Just a Normal, Fun-Loving Teen

Yahoo News ^ | 8/30/03 | Todd Melby

[Libloather]

Worm Suspect Said Just a Normal, Fun-Loving Teen
Sat Aug 30, 6:28 PM ET
By Todd Melby

HOPKINS, Minn. (Reuters) - A friend of a Minnesota high school student charged with unleashing a new strain of the Blaster Internet worm that infected computers around the world described him on Saturday as "just a kid" who is likely innocent.

Mike Heldt, who once worked with suspect Jeffrey Lee Parson, 18, at a local movie theater, told Reuters he and Parson like to shoot billiards, rent movies, play video games and "just sit around and joke like other kids."

"I don't think he's really a hacker," said Heldt, an 18-year-old who works the overnight shift at a local gas station and lives in the same working-class neighborhood as Parson. "He's just a kid that got into something that's bigger than he is, that's all."

But computer security specialists, who are still searching for the creator of the worm, said altering a worm is not as hard as creating one.

"It was a very deliberate act," said Vincent Weafer, senior director of Symantec Security Response. "But it wasn't complex. It doesn't take a huge amount of knowledge."

According to court documents, the 6-foot-4 (1.9-meter), 320-pound (145 kg) Parson has admitted creating a variant of the Blaster, a self-replicating worm that bores through a Windows security hole, harnessing computers to launch concerted data attacks via the Internet on a Microsoft Corp. technical service Web site.

Microsoft, which says Blaster has caused millions of dollars of damage, helped authorities in the case.

HOUSE ARREST

Parson was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of intentionally causing or attempting to cause damage to a computer. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

"This young man ... was very sophisticated in his understanding of computers," said U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger of Minnesota.

Hours after being charged, Parson, along with Heldt, watched the news at his home in Hopkins, a western suburb of Minneapolis, where he is under house arrest and required to wear an electronic monitoring device.

A friend of Parson's mother was sympathetic.

"They're really nice people," said Maureen Carriveau, a neighbor of the Parson family. "This has to be so heartbreaking. Every parent wants the best for their kids."

But some local residents were upset.

"It screws up everything," said Leanne Damke, who lives down the street from Parson. The 32-year-old mother of two says she had trouble getting medication from a pharmacy due to the worm.

"I think he wanted it to get out of hand," she added. "When someone puts something like that on the computer, he's doing it on purpose."

Authorities have removed seven computers from the apartment where Parson lives with his family.

At his appearance on Friday in U.S. Federal Court in St. Paul, Minnesota, Parson wore a faded gray T-shirt, cargo shorts and high-top sneakers. The judge banned him from using the Internet, surfing the World Wide Web or using messaging services.

[Libloather]

"I don't think he's really a hacker," said Heldt.

I do...

[Libloather]

The judge banned him from using the Internet, surfing the World Wide Web or using messaging services.

Ever try that on someone?

[John Beresford Tipton]

If he hasn't, the Viking Kitties have!

[TomServo]

"But it wasn't complex. It doesn't take a huge amount of knowledge."

Then

"This young man ... was very sophisticated in his understanding of computers,"

Huh?

[Kevin Curry]

Microsoft, which says Blaster has caused millions of dollars of damage, helped authorities in the case.

Probably used their built-in Windows XP spyware to trace it right back to his computer. Very impressive.

The kid is an amateur. He made solving the case easy because he admitted altering the worm and sending it out. More dangerous hackers likely have sophisticated ways of covering their tracks and would be almost impossible to track down.

[RichInOC]

"It seems that you've been living two lives. One life, you're Lee Parsons, a normal, fun-loving 18-year-old high school student living in the suburbs of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. You have a social security number, pay your taxes, and you... help your mother carry out the garbage. The other life is lived in computers, where you go by a hacker alias and are guilty of virtually every computer crime we have a law for. One of these lives has a future, and one of them does not.

[Kozak]

Supposedly he put up a web site bragging he had created the worm. The FBI intentionally infected a computer, then watched it connect directly to his web site. Duh.

[ClearBlueSky]

I would, personally, collect every computer he damaged and drop it on his head from a high building.

Scuzzball, hacker punk!

[annyokie]

What's-his-name, Michael something who went to jail for five years said he isn't a real hacker either.

This from the guy who hacker the Pentagon.

[Kozak]

Supposedly he put up a web site bragging he had created the worm. The FBI intentionally infected a computer, then watched it connect directly to his web site. Duh.

[rockfish59]

Let's delete his brain!

[ClearBlueSky]

I would, personally, collect every computer he damaged and drop it on his head from a high building.

Scuzzball, hacker punk!

[Kevin Curry]

I'm surprised the FBI would describe their investigative methods at all. Of course at trial they will have to, but even then they will strive to disclose only as much information as is necessary to prove the case.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Worm Suspect Said Just a Normal, Fun-Loving Teen...

Who never, ever got laid or had any hope that it would ever happen, inasmuch as having a girlfriend might interrupt marathon Quake sessions, and she might view a night out as being something more than sharing a bag of cheetos in front of the computer.....

Tee hee....

[Vinnie]

Mitnick?

He is doing computer security work now, I think.

[strela]

Hours after being charged, Parson, along with Heldt, watched the news at his home in Hopkins, a western suburb of Minneapolis, where he is under house arrest and required to wear an electronic monitoring device.

I've always wondered how many people who are required to wear these things remove them to give their cat a new collar?

[Vinnie]

They need to throw the book at him, make an example.

[annyokie]

Yes, thank you! He is indeed doing security work now.

[humblegunner]

Worm boy is a disgrace; anyone able to create a "worm" or even
to alter one must have knowledge of computers and affinity for computers..
and then create something to DESTROY computer systems???

Nutcase, dirtbag, pussball, pukebrain democrat.

There, I've vented.

[redheadtoo]

You know its going to be a bad day when the FBI shows up and seizes your kid's computer.