Authorities say he admitted during an interview with FBI and Secret Service agents that he modified the original "Blaster" infection that made computers attack the Microsoft Web site last month.
Prosecutors said Mr. Parson's worm affected at least 7,000 computers.
His parents, Bob and Rita Parson, spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday on the Today show, and said their son was an ordinary teenager, not a computer whiz.
"My son is not brilliant; he's not genius," Rita Parson said. "Anyone that has any computer knowledge could have done what Jeff did."
OK, unless I am missing something, then what that kid did was obtain the C++ or whatever (probably C or C++) code for that virus, modified it, and then recompiled and redistributed it.
This is NOT something that any run of the mill kid can do. This kid IS a computer expert, and likely IS pretty bright. I certainly would expect him to score above 120 on an IQ test, just for having:
A) the ability to program in C++
B) the ability to read other people's C++ code
C)Being able to read that code well enough to know what parts to change
D)Knowing where the hell to download said code in the first place (probably some very obsure hackers IRC channel where you would never last longer than 1 minute on without being kicked unless you are 3leet)
E)Knowing how to release the mutation back in the field in such a way as to not be instantly traced and caught....
F)Additional computer skills not listed.
I work in a university's computer department and I think that only some of the lecturers and some other programmers here would know how to do the above. Modify the code, that is. Not where to get hold of it. Certainly, even pretty advanced students would not.
I know people who have PhD's in computing who would NOT HAVE THE FIRST CLUE!
This is NOT the work of "some kid" who innocently stumbled onto something and innocently changed it. That's crap.
That virus caused a lot of damage to workstations and servers all over the world, disrupted business and caused a lot of work for people like me. OK kid, I am grateful for being kept in a job, but you had to have known what you did was wrong. Sorry.