Welchia Worm

[Tentra]

I just read about a worm named Welchia. The Welchia worm was written to counteract the Blaster worm, by removing Blaster, spreading itself to other computers, then finally removing itself.

So I'm asking everyone if you think that approach to virus removal is ethical?

[godofcereal]

This happens alot with big viruses and trojans and worms. I think its right to do this since some people dont know they even have it and then its gone thanks to someone elses work.

Nothing wrong with helping those who cant help themselves.

[insomaniacal]

It brings up a tough question within ethics, this is kinda like the "Should we force medical treatment" thread, but then again, who would actually want a computer virus?

[The Riviera Kid]

Nothing wrong with helping those who cant help themselves.

Should we really force help upon those not smart enough to use computers though. If someone doesn't know how to use a computer and yet they want to surf the web, a computer technician comes round, installs an antivirus and gives them a lecture on why not to "click here now". But i don't think people who are making the anti-worms should risk getting themselves sued - plus this anti-worm could be easily re-programmed to be an even more effective virus.

[godofcereal]

Nothing wrong with helping those who cant help themselves.

Should we really force help upon those not smart enough to use computers though. If someone doesn't know how to use a computer and yet they want to surf the web, a computer technician comes round, installs an antivirus and gives them a lecture on why not to "click here now". But i don't think people who are making the anti-worms should risk getting themselves sued - plus this anti-worm could be easily re-programmed to be an even more effective virus.

So if I'm not smart enough to know that walking around a mine field is a bad thing, people shouldnt stop me from potentialy hurting myself?

[The Riviera Kid]

So if I'm not smart enough to know that walking around a mine field is a bad thing, people shouldnt stop me from potentialy hurting myself?

I don't really mean that people not smart enough, shouldn't use computers. They should know that they can be vulnerable and if they don't ask for help in keeping safe, you shouldn't hold yourself responsible for their safety - they should be taught how to be safe on them but i'm not running in the mine field after you to stop you from hurting yourself.

I think putting it that way I might pulled us off-topic, but to spend time breaking onto someone's computer to help them is probably the wrong way to solve the problem of computer worms.

[godofcereal]

What if you saw someones computer that was messed up because of a worm and you have an anti-worm, would you not give it to them?
Your not breaking in if you are saving that computer.

[The Riviera Kid]

I would use a pre-programmed anti-worm to fix someone's computer if i know the problem they are having.

I just think that since we know how to defend against the problem we should make client-side fixes to the problem's, not expect that an anti-worm should break their anti-virus, make it's way in, and help them out.
Although it may look like a method that works, i don't think it should be the direction we head in to get rid of worms.
- Though looking into how worms work and keeping up with their technology will help us defend against them on the anti-virus side

[godofcereal]

Your opion, my opion, lets leave it at that.

Im not coming back to the ethics section anymore. It always ends up with a stupid arguement.

[insomaniacal]

Most likely, whoever wrote this worm, just wanted to get at the guy who wrote the original virus.

I can easily see this stemming from some lame low level drama.