Second Alleged Virus Writer Arrested in Germany

German authorities arrested a second alleged virus author Friday, Microsoft announced yesterday, but the arrest was unrelated to the alleged author of the Sasser worm's arrest, which also occurred on Friday. The second arrest concerns the alleged author of the Agobot worm, which attackers can use to gain control of remote computers. Microsoft wouldn't confirm whether any other individuals were arrested in the Agobot case, but press reports suggest that German authorities have detained at least two other people.
  
Microsoft verified that it aided German law enforcement in both the Agobot and Sasser cases but explained that the two investigations were separate and unrelated. "Two different paths led to two different cases which resulted in arrests around the same time," a Microsoft spokesperson said. Unlike the Sasser case, informants weren't responsible for the arrest in the Agobat case, although Microsoft declined to reveal how German authorities discovered the alleged Agobot author.
  
Meanwhile, a fifth version of the Sasser worm was discovered after German authorities captured its alleged author, but press reports correctly indicate that the 18-year-old German man who is in custody couldn't have created the new worm. The German teenager has admitted to writing the Sasser worm and all 28 variants of the Netsky virus, which assaulted computers worldwide in February.