Ikatako Virus Replaces Victims' Files With Pictures of Squid

An anonymous reader writes "Ikatako is a virus that spreads through Japanese P2P network Winny, aided by the pirates' lack of wit. Once downloaded and run, the virus sends their data to a central server and replaces it with cephalopod and cnidarian imagery. Japanese hacker (and virus creator) Masato Nakatsuji thought he wouldn't be arrested this time. However, Japanese police considered the files in Japanese pirates' hard drives to be more important than his manga depictions of octopods and other tentacled fauna."

Ikatako Virus Replaces Victims' Files With Picture

[omar.sahal]

he felt he would not be arrested again because he had created the manga images for Ikatako himself, therefore avoiding a violation of the copyright law.

If one of the motivations for such people to hack others computers is to prove how smart they are, this is epic fail.
Perhaps we need to just take the micky out people like this so at least younger kids don't see hacking others computers as a very smart thing to do.

"Your Rights Online"?

[Gnavpot]

Sorry, but how is this a YRO issue?

PIX!

[Anonymous Coward]

What? No pics?

A "hardened" computer hacker?

[sco08y]

FTFA:

A hardened computer hacker has been arrested on suspicion of writing a computer virus that systematically destroys all the files on victims' PCs and replaces them with homemade manga images of squid, octopuses and sea urchins.

Maybe it's because of his past acts?

He was collared in 2008 for violating copyright laws by creating a computer virus that replaced data with an anime image. He was serving a suspended sentence for that offense when he was arrested in connection with the latest virus.

Obviously there's a pattern of acts of mass cartoonery...

Submitter: stop trying to be clever

[synthesizerpatel]

You manage to obscure the actual content of the story by misdirection and lack of information.

I realize the motivation behind writing 'teaser' articles -- get people to read the full article rather than just the summary.

But it ends up being like Network News

"7 things in your pantry that can give you EBOLA... coming up after these commercials!"

Please stop.

Re:Ikatako Virus Replaces Victims' Files With Pict

[Anonymous Coward]

> Perhaps we need to just take the micky out people like this so at least younger kids don't see hacking others computers as a very smart thing to do.

Perhaps we should teach younger kids what "hacking" really mean, so they start naming things for what they really are: property destruction, trespassing or invading in this case.

And thus, certain people would have one less device to prevent innovation. BTW, and generally speaking, preventing innovation is arguably one form of evil.

Hacking is just as badly viewed as elucubration (at least, in my country); these activities are hated by those who abhor thinking and favor brainless action (though, of course, anything in excess is damaging).