Interview with Gigabyte
by jackie twoflower
for LineZero #2

Hello girls and boys, I am your friendly reporter jackie and today I have a nice interview with the charming virus writing girl Gigabyte. If you want to read about the vx world seen by a nice girl then read on!

Ok, first a basic question, tell us something about you ( country, age, whatever else,.. :) )

I'm 15, female and from Belgium .... my hobbies are computers, viruses, riding horses (mainly jumping)

Why did you choose your handle and has it a special meaning?

Hmm...no reason...I also considered "Megabyte" but I decided " Gigabyte " fits better for me. I don't know why exactly. So nope, no special meaning Gives some funny situations sometimes too, like when people are talking about HDD space and mention the word "Gigabyte"....

When was your first contact with a computer?

I was about 6 when I got my first computer, an old Commodore64 and learned BASIC on it. I think I was younger when I started playing games on my uncle's computer too..5 maybe

What was your first contact with the genre 'virus'?

I always found them kinda interesting..I decided I wanted to collect them and get to know more about them about a year ago .. the movie "The Net" also had something to do with that..

You were inspired by this movie?

Well, I already was interested in viruses, and in that movie someone collected viruses, so I thought "Hey, cool idea, might be interesting".

So after this you started being active?

I didn't know I would ever try coding them by that time too and I didn't know there was anything like a " VX scene " by that time .. No, I started collecting but I was on my own, didn't know where to look, so had only about 10 viruses first .... some months later I met Rhape and he told me about #vir, so that's how I came in the VX scene..

How long have you been in the VX scene?

Since January 1999, so since about 10 months

How did you make your way in the VX Scene ?

It was kinda difficult in the beginning...I was only 14, in the beginning I wasn't even aware of the fact that most people here were virus coders. I thought they were collectors, researchers, or something. I only had a few friends in the scene in the beginning, but they always helped me, and that way I got to know more people, learned more about viruses..

Knowdeth told me about VBS, so that way I found something to code in, and made some vbs worms / viruses..I've been in Kefrens and UC..and yeah well, I'm still learning (learning some C at the moment, it's kinda cool..)

How do you see the virus scene? Past, present and future...

I think most people in the scene just wanna write viruses, because it's their hobby, kinda like an art, they don't really wanna spread..at least most people I know don't. Of course there are exceptions..Also, everyone kinda knows each other, which I think is kinda cool..

For the future..well I just hope everyone can keep enjoying virus coding, that the damn FBI leaves virus coders alone and that we can all get along

Which programming languages do you know?

BASIC for a C64, QuickBASIC, VB, VBS, HTML (if that counts?). When I was about 8 years old I've used a language called " Superlogo ". Anyway, I do not use it anymore..I know a *little* of ASM (let's say I'm able to make a com overwriter, and a little more), and I'm learning C now..

How many viruses have you coded ?

3 I released ( on the Kefrens site when I was still in there ) : Gum.b, Entice and Stress_Out. And 2 I never released: Gum.a and Sahara. Some weren't viruses, but worms

How do you spread your viruses? :o)

I don't spread them. I'm against spreading..

How do you name your viruses?

I was chewing on a chewing gum when I chose the name "Gum". "Entice" was just a word I liked, picked it from the dictionary. "Stress Out". That's obvious for the people that know me well ;-) ( they always tell me to stress out)

Do you have any new ideas for viruses you want to write in the near future?

I might try a companion virus in C if I get better with it ...nothing for sure yet tho..we'll see. I'm probably not gonna code in VBS anymore..

Which was your best virus you ever coded til yet?

Hmm..Stress Out and Entice I suppose..I personally like Stress Out most..

Which viruses do you think are the viruses of the next generation ?

I think the different kinds of viruses (ASM, VBA..) we have now will keep on existing ... I also think scripting languages like VBS and Java script will be used more, because they can be used in HTML pages, and because it's new..

What did you think about destructive payloads in viruses ?

I think it's better to make something orginal than something destructive. But I don't have a problem with people that want to code them, it's their choice, also I think just messing with files is acceptable, fucking up the BIOS isn't..

Which payloads did you try in your viruses? Any special one?

Gum (VBS/HTML worm) replaced logos.sys with the Gum image, with "Gigabyte presents your latest infection Gum. Enjoy" on it. Stress Out (VBS worm/ virus) creates a key in the registery, called VX Rules, Stress Out, it also makes a load of directories and subdirectories, with some funny names..

What is your oppinion about virus construction kits?

I think people can learn from the code it creates, but they shouldn't release the viruses, because they're not really their viruses, they didn't code them..

What is your favourite virus/virus generator/poly engine?

None, I never used any..

Which guys do you respect most in the virus scene?

Rhape79, because he told me about the VX scene, about #vir ect., otherwise I wouldn't be in the scene, and he's a good friend. Evul, because he's a good coder and hosts many VX sites on coderz.net, including mine, and he's a cool friend. MidNyte, Spyda, veedee, and many others, because they always support me with coding, problems, all kinda things..

Which VX groups do you like best? and why?

UC because my best friends in the scene are in there. 29A because there are good coders in there, and most people are cool..

What were/are the best virus magazine in your oppinion?

Hmm..I kinda like CB#5 and LineZer0#1

Are you in any VX group?

Nope, not at the moment..

What do you think about AV's (and their products)? Which are best/worst?

I hardly use any, except when I accidently infected myself with one (can happen when I check out my connection in the middle of the night, or when drunk).... I usually use AVP then. I don't know if it's the best too. I never bothered comparing...I'm pro-virus, not anti.

As anyone knows (or not) you are a girl, isn't writting viruses unlikely for a girl?

I guess so...I kinda often had "What???" as a reaction when I told people I was female...even computers as a hobby is kinda unusual for girls, at least so do many people at school think (most girls at school don't like computers at all, but there are exceptions)...anyway, I don't see why it would be a problem, it's my choice, and we're 1999, boys and girls (should) have equal rights..

Was/is it hard to find your way in virus bussiness as a girl?

Hmm ....yeah in the beginning it was ....some people kicked me out of the channels for being female. Maybe because they didn't believe I was female or something, or because they weren't used to see many girls in the virus channels ....I don't know. But after a while I got to know the people and they got to know me ....and now I get along great with nearly everyone, I have some good friends in the scene..

Did you ever had problems in virus scene coz you are a girl?

Sometimes people didn't seem to believe I was female ....anyway, some of them talked to me on the phone and some even met me in real life, so at least they realize I'm really female.

Besides viruses coding, what do you do in real life?

Going to school, riding horses ...I have a horse (and Arabian) and a pony (a Welsh), which I have to train almost every day. In vacation I sometimes also train horses from other people. I participate in jumping competitions with my pony, and soon with my horse, so you can imagine it takes a lot of work. I also listen to music, I like dancing.(mainly dance and house music..)

Do your close friends, parents, girlfriend know you write Virus?

Girlfriend? I'm not lesbian..

Oops..sorry

And I don't have a boyfriend anyway, so nope..

New try. Do your close friends, parents, boyfriend know you write Virus?

My parents and some close friends know. My boyfriend doesn't know, cause I don't have one.

What music do you like?

Dance, house..I especially like Fiocco, Milk Inc, ATB, Absolom, DJ Da Rick..

aaaauuuurghhhh ;(

What's the problem?

nothing .. ;)

What is your best advice to a newbie in vx scene?

Read VDAT, some virus zines like those from CB ... don't beg for viruses, try a search engine...try getting to know the people, get some friends in the scene, that always helps..

What is your best advice to a newbie a femal newbie?

Don't let them discriminate you because you're female, but also understand most of the guys aren't really used to see females in the scene.

Greets to other virus people and groups?

Rhape79, Evul, Spyda, MidNyte, MetGod, veedee, Flitnic, Lord_Arz, LethalMind...to everyone from UC, KF, LineZer0...and everyone I forgot...

Any comments so far?

Hmm...well I hope I can stay in the scene for a whole while, have a great time here, together with other VXers ... that when needed everyone will stick together, support each other...

Last but not least i would like to thank you for the interview. It gave us a view in vxworld of a girl, it was me a pleasure.

Hehe, no prob..

PLEASE NOTE ..... THIS CONFESSION WAS MADE UNDER THREATS OF BODILY HARM AND INJURY!