Child pornography – possibly one of the most severe criminal activities present in the online world. Now imagine logging onto a coworker’s or loved one’s computer to find this disturbing and illegal content. Do you inform authorities? Before you go labeling anyone a pedophile, you should be aware of a circulating virus that is capable of making any PC owner an unsuspecting collector of child pornography.
Jordan Robertson, writer for the Globe and Mail, wrote an article disclosing the findings of a recent Associated Press investigation that revealed how many innocent people were branded users of child pornography after their PCS became infected with a virus. Michael Fiola, an investigator for workers’ compensation in Massachusetts, was fired from his workplace after child pornography was discovered on his computer. The charges not only meant five years in prison, but Michael was shunned by his friends, experienced death threats, had his tires slashed, and had to take a second mortgage to cover the 250 000 dollars he spent to fight the charges.
It ruined my life, my wife’s life and my family’s life,” – Michael Fiora, wrongly accused of viewing child pornography
Michael was found innocent after further investigations showed that while he and his wife were out at dinner, child pornography inexplicably flowed into his computer for an hour and a half. The virus was programmed to visit up to 40 different child pornography sites in just over a minute, clearly going beyond human capabilities. According to security software maker F-Secure, around 20 million of the 1 billion worldwide PCS are infected with viruses that can give hackers ultimate control, which includes the downloading of pornographic content. While the virus’ existence and ability to frame the unsuspected has been proven, it still remains difficult to determine the innocence of those who have been caught with child pornography on their hard drives.
It’s an example of the old ‘dog ate my homework’ excuse. The problem is, sometimes the dog does eat your homework.” – Phil Malone, director of the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society
Viruses have always been a nuisance for PC users as they disrupt regular computer activity, but this time, hackers have found a way to enter and destroy personal lives. Ridding your computer of the odd spam or worm is nothing more than a minor inconvenience, while having your reputation ruined and facing the possibility of hard jail time is life altering. Although there is now proof that such a virus exists, there’s no full proof way of separating the guilty pedophile from the innocently hacked. Therefore, PC users should protect themselves by running regular virus scans, opening emails from only recognized users, and avoiding obscure websites. I’m sure once Michael Fiora gets back on his feet financially; he’ll also take necessary precautions – most likely, investing in a Mac.
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