Microsoft announced yesterday that it would provide $5 million in seed money to create a private Anti-Virus Reward Program. The fund will provide financial rewards for those who turn in virus writers. This worldwide initiative will encourage those with information to bring malicious geeks to justice and hopefully help deter future virus creation.
This is a socially conscientious reaction to what motivates the public. Our world is slow to react to policy changes. Writing viruses that disrupt computer networks is already illegal. In a perfect world, this would be enough for someone to turn in these culprits. Because the law has not proven an adequate motivator, the private sector has stepped up to the plate.
Microsoft, in all of its alleged villainy, is doing its civic duty. The company has the means, due to its role in developing the software industry, and the company is using some of its reward for hard work to improve the quality of life for computer users everywhere.
Hopefully other companies, especially those that profit from virus protection, will follow suit. Microsoft's lead could revolutionize the technology world again. If the major players in the virus protection field join with Microsoft and the fund becomes even larger, these rewards have the potential to be even more successful.
While this reward system could become a double-edged sword, it stands to bring a new deterrent to these villains. A CNN.com story likened these virus-writers to the bad guys of the old Wild West. It noted that the Internet is the new frontier, and it said "wanted dead or alive"-style posters with financial incentives may be what it takes to elevate the pursuit of these social disrupters and curb this new form of terrorism.
A valid concern is that such a reward program will bring a high profile to virus-writers. The writers were said to be inspired by the prestige and publicity that comes from screwing up the days of as many people as possible. Evading techno-bounty hunters and watching the reward on their heads grow may give more sadistic pleasure to these cartoonish nerds. Even still, rewards seem to be a reasonable measure to buy information.
Since these villains are inspired by prestige, media attention and evil control over the universe, with inner-circles of loyalists admiring their accomplishments, it would seem reasonable that they will be bragging to people about their most recent recipe for disorder. When the rewards become available, virus-writers may begin to think twice about whom to trust.
Raised awareness can never be a bad thing. If a reward is what it takes to get more people talking, then it will do more to catch the "bad guys" than any other effort in the past.
People know who the perpetrators are. This is just one more incentive (and what better incentive is there than a little of Bill Gates' pocket change?) to take your knowledge to the authorities.
It certainly will motivate me to look a little more closely at what the guy across the street is up to when he sits in front of his glowing computer monitor day and night.
Matt Snowden is a finance senior. He can be reach at matthew.snowden@asu.edu.