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Ika-tako Virus Replaces Your Files With Squid Pics

by Terrence O'Brien on August 16, 2010 at 03:15 PM

Squid Attacks PC
Never let it be said that computer hackers don't have a sense of humor. Masato Nakatsuji has been arrested by Tokyo authorities for authoring the Ika-tako virus, which replaces the files on a target computer with images of squid, octopi and sea urchins. The virus has infected somewhere between 20,000 and 50,000 computers through the Winny file-sharing network. The malware disguises itself as a music file, and, when a victim attempts to play it, works its way through the hard drive, replacing programs, family photos and vital OS components with images of marine life.

Cute, but dangerous, since this is not the first time Nakatsuji has been arrested in connection with the creation of malware. In 2008, the coder created a virus that behaved similarly to Ika-tako, replacing data with images from an anime called 'Clannad.' That stunt landed Nakatsuji in jail for copyright violation. This time, Nakatsuji got slapped with the more severe charge of property destruction. The files that had been replaced were sent back to a server that Nakatsuji ran from his home, indicating he may have had more nefarious motives than simply practicing his computer programing skills, which was his excuse to police. [From: Wired and Asahi.com]

Tags: Ika-takoVirus, malware, MasatoNakatsuji, security, squid, squids, top, virus

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