Bounty Hunter: Microsoft Creates Anti-Virus Reward Program
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well it's not the wild, wild west, it's the wild, wild Web. Microsoft is putting up a bounty of $5 million to catch virus writers. Carrie Lee has the story from the Nasdaq market site in Times Square. So that's quite a bit of money to do this.</s>CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: It really is any way you slice it, Heidi. However, if any company can afford to do this, it's Microsoft, which has over $50 billion in cash. So the world's No. 1 software maker announcing a $5 million anti- virus award program. And Microsoft promises to pay the first rewards of $250,000 each to anyone who helps authorities find and convict the authors of the original Blaster and So-Big Internet infections unleashed earlier this year. Those viruses really affected a lot of Microsoft PCs, PCs that run on Microsoft's Windows system. So Microsoft certainly has a vested interest in trying to curb this type of problem. The question, of course, will it work, and opinions here differ. Some say that to put a bounty on these authors' heads will pretty much increase their notoriety, also increase their egos. Others say, though, that the lure of riches could very well prompt people to call the authorities, get some information to them and get the money, $250,000 a pretty big incentive for some. Almost like the Web is the wild, wild west these days. One person says these authors are the gunslingers of the modern ago. So we'll see if this program, this $5 million program is effective.</s>COLLINS: We will. And you're right, if Microsoft has that money, that is for sure. All right. Carrie Lee from the Nasdaq market site, we appreciate it this morning. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com Program>