[funsec] Ransomeware

[Drsolly]

I got one of the disks (followed by a ton of others), and I did an 
analysis of it. As I recall, he encrypted the filenames.

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006, Nick FitzGerald wrote:

> Drsolly wrote:
> 
> > First done in 1990, the AIDS Information disk.  ...
> 
> Well, IIRC and if we can trust the date stamps of Her Majesty's Royal 
> Mail service, I think technically Popp did this in early/mid December 
> 1989...
> 
> > ...  Dr Popp was charged with 
> > blackmail, and pleaded insanity.
> 
> I'm not sure he actually pleaded insanity (he was extradited from the 
> US to the UK, where he was found guilty, and he was tried in absentia 
> in Italy and also found guilty), but his practise of wearing a paper 
> bag over his head may have been a contributing factor in in that belief 
> (he was certainly a few sandwiches short of the full picnic...).
> 
> There was also some evidence (found in the US when he was arrested by 
> the FBI (?) to face the UK extradition hearing??) that the Dec 89 
> postal drop in the UK was possibly a "trial run" for a much larger drop 
> Popp was planning.
> 
> Given the stir I seem to recall this story making (though maybe that's 
> exaggerated by the fact New Zealand is/was more closely attuned to "UK 
> news") at the time (and we received a copy of the disk in the computer 
> center at the local university where I worked, so it was a little 
> "closer to home" for me) there is surprisingly little quality 
> information about it on the web, but as I suggested in my earlier 
> response, a little Googling can turn up some good stuff...
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Nick FitzGerald
> 
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