newsbytes@clarinet.com (01/18/90)
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 17 (NB) -- In the Morris worm (virus) trial, various prosecution witnesses have continued to build a strong case against Robert Morris, the former Cornell graduate student who is accused of causing millions of dollars worth of damages due to lost user time when he allegedly released a computer worm into a vast U.S. civilian and military computer network last year. One recent witness, Liudvikas Bukys, computer lab manager at the University of Rochester, reportedly said outside the courtroom that he hoped Morris would go to jail. Mr. Bukys testified that the worm infection caused people at the University of Rochester to work overtime, resulting in extra expenses. The prosecution need only prove that the worm caused more than $1,000 in damage to gain a felony conviction under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. It is apparently the defense's contention that, since the release of the worm was an accident, Morris should not be found liable for the alleged damages and that, furthermore, he may have done the computer community a service by showing flaws in the system's security. Several experts have stated in print that Mr. Morris's worm took advantage of well-known flaws in the operating system. Attorneys have pointed out that the statute does not require that the damages be intentionally caused. (John McCormick/1990117)