"Maureen is right. An attack on institutions that hold money would really freak out the stock market and the populace. I'm sure many people do not have a firm idea how much money they have in the bank and, if the bank cannot tell them, they will panic. This article (while long) did a good job of explaining who is writing viruses and malware. I know bored kids have the time but, if they do not release the virus, if they do not gain from the attack, I cannot see how they can be held accountable. Criminals on the other hand, writing code to steal money, passwords, and confidential information, should be tracked down and prosecuted. But this article makes it sound like it's close to impossible to find them. AK :)" - Alison Kinderfather