Poverty and Virtual Crime

Posted in Blogging, Computers & Technology, Government, Hacking, Law, National Security by Elliott Back on June 13th, 2006.

Eugene Kaspersky, the head of Kaspersky Labs, an antimalware company, issued the following statement to The Register (via):

“A particular cause for concern is programs which advocate ‘cheap computers for poor third world countries’,” Kaspersky writes. “These further encourage criminal activity on the internet. Statistics on the number of malicious programs originating from specific countries confirm this: the world leader in virus writing is China, followed by Latin America, with Russia and Eastern European countries not far behind.”

Essentially, it makes the same argument we’ve been hearing in conservative American politics for a long time–that those in poverty deserve their situation because it is the result of their life choices. Why should we assist those in need, when clearly they’re all criminals? An important question in more than computer security, I assure you.

However, the idea of providing cheap computers for countries with less econmic power than the US is a good idea. Like in India, where skilled computer programmers are being produced at an incredible rate, other countries too can perhaps begin to experience high-tech growth. What’s wrong with jumpstarting a developing nation?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 13th, 2006 at 8:40 pm and is tagged with third world countries, eastern european countries, virus writing, computer programmers, life choices, skilled computer, internet statistics, kaspersky labs, cheap computers, malicious programs, american politics, latin america, world leader, computer security, antimalware, poverty, criminals, long time, russia, india. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback.

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Jimmy 2 years ago 1 point
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Sure developing nations need a hand, but that doesn't negate the truth that human beings will do anything to survive if they are faced with starvation and death. Even, and especially, if it means taking advantage of other human beings. Just look at that 14 year old kid that's a millionaire because he visits the internet cafe in his developing country, sets up lots of westerners using 411 scams and sits back and reaps the benefits of their stupidity. Of course being poor is an incentive to scam, it doesn't mean all poor people are scammers, just that there is much more motive.

If we can't deliver food to the people who need it in these countries without it getting stolen and sold on the black market, what makes us think we can do any better with computers?

India is not classed the same as other "third world countries" either, they've been doing pretty damn good for themselves since British occupation.

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