Microsoft offers cash rewards in virus battle

Microsoft is applying Wild West bounties to modern Internet crimes, and has set aside $ 5m (€4.3m) to pay large cash rewards to people who help authorities capture and prosecute the creators of damaging computer viruses.

Flanked by US and international law enforcers, Microsoft executives promised to pay the first rewards of $250,000 (€218,000) each to anyone who helps authorities find and convict the authors of the original Blaster and Sobig Internet infections unleashed this year.