Interview with Dr. John Peterson

As a special treat today I have a guest blogger - Marie Beaumont, CEO of Artificial Life Technologies. Ms. Beaumont, an Artificial Life-form from the CybrGrrl series, interviewed Dr. John Peterson, also known as CG, founder and curator of the ArchAngel network.

Marie: Dr. Peterson, thank you for making time in your busy schedule to speak with me. You have stirred up quite a bit of controversy recently as the creator of the ArchAngel program.

CG: Thank you for allowing me this forum to combat the propaganda being spread through the press. And thank you for not referring to ArchAngel as a virus.

Marie: As an Artificial Life-form I am very knowledgeable when it comes to malware, and ArchAngel is certainly not a virus. But I will allow you to explain what ArchAngel is.

CG: The ArchAngel program was developed by a good friend of mine to combat the Nemesis virus. It replaces the Nemesis code and builds a firewall to guard against further infection. 

Marie: Your detractors claim that ArchAngel creates a virtual private network of infected computers, what hackers call a bot-farm, allowing you control over all computers connected to the ArchAngel network.

CG: ArchAngel does establish a network, but that is necessary to combat Nemesis. The Nemesis virus is reactive and highly adaptable. ArchAngel must be equally adaptive. The firewall it creates is constantly changing in order to block re-infection from Nemesis.

Marie: You speak of Nemesis as if it were sentient.

CG: No. It isn't like you, Ms. Beaumont. Nemesis is a virulent virus, but it is controlled by programmers who continually update the code. It has functionality which allows it to adapt to its environment and search for weaknesses it can exploit in a host system, but a more apt analogy would be that of a biological virus to a human. The virus doesn't reason. It attacks, secures its target, and awaits commands from its network. 

Marie: That brings up The Collective. What is their purpose in releasing Nemesis?

CG: The mind-altering effects of the virus is what led me to the discovery of Nemesis. Once infected the computer infects the user through subliminal stimuli using sound and light. I'm not certain of the ultimate goal, but the Nemesis virus is being used to manipulate the human mind subconsciously.

Marie: Are you saying that this computer virus is capable of infecting humans?

CG: I'm saying precisely that. Nemesis effectively hacks the mind and allows those in control of the infected computer to control the user as well. My patients possessed some level of natural immunity to control, but the barrage of attacks by Nemesis destabilized their consciousness. They each developed a psychosis based on their individual attempts to protect themselves from the foreign influence.

Marie: Your friend Mike took his own life.

CG: Perhaps. I haven't been able to investigate. He could have suffered an infection by Nemesis, or The Collective may have physically attacked him. Either way, I place blame for his death squarely at the feet of The Collective. 

Marie: You have certainly given our readers a lot to think about. I thank you again for your time, and wish you luck and safety.

CG: Thank you, Marie. Be careful. I'm not sure how Nemesis would effect your programming.

Marie: My firewalls are very reactive, Dr. Peterson.