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Chernobyl virus author faces 3-years in chokey

Taiwanese authorities feel his collar

The writer of the CIH, or Chernobyl, virus has been detained by Taiwanese authorities. They plan to bring him to trial for all the damage the virus caused, and if found guilty he faces up to three years in jail for his escapade.

Military authorities originally questioned Chen Ing-Hau in April last year, but astonishingly since no one in Taiwan had brought a complaint against him, the case could not pursued.

A Taiwanese student shopped him to the cops when the virus struck again this year.

The virus triggers on the anniversary of the nuclear meltdown in the doomed nuclear plant, and caused over $250 million worth of damage in South Korea alone, according to official estimates.

Following the first outing of the virus Chen Ing-Hau was head hunted by a software company who was impressed by his skills.

Graham Cluley of Sophos Anti-virus said that the arrest sent a strong message to the virus writers that what they did was wrong and would be punished. He warned IT companies that although they think they will be employing a scripting whizz, all they will get is someone "with the inclination and ability to write relatively simple yet highly destructive code." ®

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