Perks & Paintball For Employees At Cybercrime, Inc.

Barence writes "Innovative Marketing Ukraine was in the business of churning out some of the world's most pernicious, and profitable, computer viruses. As the company grew, it added a human resources department, hired an internal IT staff and built a call center to dissuade its victims from seeking credit card refunds. Employees were treated to catered holiday parties and picnics with paintball competitions. Top performers got bonuses as young workers turned a blind eye to the harm the software was doing. 'When you are just 20, you don't think a lot about ethics,' said one former Innovative Marketing programmer. 'I had a good salary and I know that most employees also had pretty good salaries.' The firm has been closed down after the US Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit seeking its disbandment in the federal court. But an examination of the FTC's complaint and documents from a legal dispute among Innovative executives offers a rare glimpse into a dark, expanding — and highly profitable — corner of the internet."

Comments

Ethics

[Anonymous Coward]

Funny, I did think about ethics when I was 20.

Then again, I wasn't a piece of scum.

Re:Ethics

[TheRaven64]

Given the number of student protest organisations relative to other age groups, I'd have assumed that 20 was when most people thought about ethics. And what happens to the money that these scum made?

Re:Ethics

[turbotroll]

Funny, I did think about ethics when I was 20.

So did I. The sense of ethics does evolve with aging, but who hasn't developed any by the age of 20 should be considered retarded, both intellectually and emotionally.

Then again, I wasn't a piece of scum.

"Some people are alive only because it is illegal to kill them."

Re:Ethics

[khchung]

I've never understood this rationale. How is theft in the Ukraine any different from theft anywhere else? I'm sure many people make an honest living there, just like every other country. You can't put a "cultural" spin on fraud or theft.

I don't know about you, but to me, the "context" (not culture) of a theft sometimes makes a difference.

E.g. stealing $10 when your family are starving is and entirely different thing than stealing $10 million when you are filthy rich.

Think about that.

Assholes having fun

[Voulnet]

LOL, sounds like fun. They're still assholes, though. Too bad really hardworking ethical employees get shafted world-wide. And... really, did they do more harm than some of the world-widely known software companies in the world?

Well that's a bit odd, I think.

[Securityemo]

He's either dodging the question, or he really didn't think about what he was doing? Most people in the malware authoring business probably at least understand the consequences of what they do, even if they don't care. Akin to these guys: http://www.securityfocus.com/news/11476

Ethics

[Andy Smith]

"When you are just 20, you don't think a lot about ethics"

Really? I did.

What I suspect this person really means is: He was fully aware that what he was doing was unethical, but he liked the money. Saying that that he "didn't think" about the ethics is an attempt to excuse his behaviour.

good quote

[circletimessquare]

"When you are just 20, you don't think a lot about ethics"

of equal validity:

"When you are just 30, you don't think a lot about ethics"
"When you are just 40, you don't think a lot about ethics"
"When you are just 50, you don't think a lot about ethics"
etc...

people are ethical or they are not. age has nothing to do with it. but its a nice rationalization on his part. people usually blame the evil media, the evil liberals, the evil conservatives, their evil parents, etc.: age old tired variations on the theme "the devil made me do it"

everyone has rationalizations for why their own poor personal choices are actually not their fault. which is of course pure unadulterated bullshit: if you did, it's your fault. end of fucking story. as soon as you break that thought, the whole idea of personal responsibility and morality is nullified

so this guy is saying is just a phase he'll outgrow, no big deal. nice one, asshole

?Ethics?

[minstrelmike]

The difference in ethics by working at some big company paying you to sell over-priced home loans that eventually collapse the global economy is what?