iPhone Hacker Gets Job Writing Apps

21-year-old is hired by an Australian tech company
By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 26, 2009 2:05 PM CST
iPhone Hacker Gets Job Writing Apps
An Apple iPhone 3GS.   (AP Photo)

The 21-year-old who created the first-ever iPhone worm has landed a job developing apps for the phone. Ashley Towns revealed via his Twitter account that he's been hired by Australia's monogeneration. Towns has said he created the "ikee" worm—it changed users' wallpaper into a photo of Rick Astley—to point out flaws and has not faced charges. Critics point out that his worm paved the way for a more malicious version that tries to steal financial data.

"Don't get me wrong," blogs Graham Cluley at Sophos. "I don't think virus writers shouldn't be allowed to rehabilitate and do something worthwhile with their lives. But it jars with me that Towns has shown no regret for what he did, and that now his utterly irresponsible behavior appears to have been rewarded. Will Towns be offering a token $5 compensation to all those he infected for the inconvenience he caused? I doubt it." (More iPhone stories.)

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