Return-Path: XPUM04@prime-a.central-services.umist.ac.uk Received: from G.SEI.CMU.EDU by ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu (5.61/2.3) id AA04466; Wed, 20 Jun 90 17:19:09 -0400 Received: from SEI.CMU.EDU by g.sei.cmu.edu (5.61/2.5) id AA06948; Wed, 20 Jun 90 17:19:09 -0400 Received: from nsfnet-relay.ac.uk by sei.cmu.edu (5.61/2.3) id AA23060; Wed, 20 Jun 90 17:18:58 -0400 Received: from sun.nsfnet-relay.ac.uk by vax.NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK via Janet with NIFTP id aa22899; 20 Jun 90 16:16 BST From: Anthony Appleyard To: DAVIDF@cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk Date: Wed, 20 Jun 90 16:30:12 BST Message-Id: <$TGWGCZNQBTKX at UMPA> Subject: Virus-L vol 0 issue #1010 Virus-L Digest Mon, 10 Oct 88, Volume 0 : Issue #1010 Today's Topics The Human End of Computer Viruses ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Oct 88 00:16:00 MDT From: LYPOWY@UNCAMULT Subject: The Human End of Computer Viruses (This may be an area that was beaten to death a while ago, so if this is the case please speak up!) Has anyone covered the human end of computer viruses? In particular, what motivates a person to write a virus or Trojan Horse? I realize that challenge and thrill are immediate motivations, but to what extent do they apply? Are they the only thing that keeps 'hackers' going? I have an idea that these motivating forces may just be the stepping stones for an interest, and that once into it, the 'hacker' develops more sophisticated goals to be met, and for reasons that in the past, perhaps, didn't occur or matter. I have yet to see any papers approaching this topic, which tells me that it is either too obvious to spend time on, or too broad to cover as a topic on its own (obviously it would be generalized to cover computer crimes in general, not just virus writing). Greg. -------------------- *** end of Virus-L issue ***