Laptop afflicted with the world’s deadliest viruses goes on sale
The device is perfectly safe as long as it is not connected to Wi-Fi or plugged to a USB
PHOTO: The Verge
We've heard interesting things go on sale. This latest item seems to add to the list.
Created by artist Guo O Dong, “The Persistence of Chaos” is a 10.2-inch Samsung NC10-14GB containing six of the worlds’ most dangerous pieces of malware. However, the piece is perfectly safe as long as it is not connected to Wi-Fi or plugged to a USB.
Guo O Dong stated that the purpose of the laptop was to actualize abstract threats posed by the digital world. “We have this fantasy that things that happen in computers can’t actually affect us, but this is absurd,” says Guo. “Weaponised viruses that affect power grids or public infrastructure can cause direct harm.”
Pakistani hacker awarded $5,000 for finding bug in Chrome, Firefox
The viruses included in the laptop were chosen due to the immensity of the economic damage they have caused. These include the 'ILOVEYOU' virus (a bug from 2000 that was attached to “love letter” emails) and WannaCry, a ransomware attack causing the shutdown of hospitals and factories internationally in 2017, which intelligence agencies pinned on North Korea.
Guo believes the WannaCry virus is an ideal example of how digital attacks and issues can manifest physical consequences. “WannaCry ... caused the [UK’s National Health Service] the equivalent of $100 million in damages and led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of doctors’ appointments,” he says. “It is not a leap to say this caused significant human harm, though it might be hard to pinpoint the effects exactly down to the patient.”
These concerns are still there today. Just this month a ransomware attack brought the city of Baltimore to a standstill, freezing government systems, disrupting estate sales, water bills, health alerts. Guo estimates that the total collective damages the six viruses on his laptop have caused are worth around $95 billion.
Assange charged in US with computer hacking conspiracy
The piece was commissioned by DeepInstinct, a cybersecurity firm, and is currently being auctioned online. A live stream of the laptop is also available, allowing viewers to observe the piece’s rising price tag, currently residing above $1.2 million. This may seem like a hefty sum in exchange for an old laptop riddled with malware, but Guo says he likes to think of the artwork as “a kind of bestiary — a catalogue of historical threats.”
This article originally appeared on The Verge.
Created by artist Guo O Dong, “The Persistence of Chaos” is a 10.2-inch Samsung NC10-14GB containing six of the worlds’ most dangerous pieces of malware. However, the piece is perfectly safe as long as it is not connected to Wi-Fi or plugged to a USB.
Guo O Dong stated that the purpose of the laptop was to actualize abstract threats posed by the digital world. “We have this fantasy that things that happen in computers can’t actually affect us, but this is absurd,” says Guo. “Weaponised viruses that affect power grids or public infrastructure can cause direct harm.”
Pakistani hacker awarded $5,000 for finding bug in Chrome, Firefox
The viruses included in the laptop were chosen due to the immensity of the economic damage they have caused. These include the 'ILOVEYOU' virus (a bug from 2000 that was attached to “love letter” emails) and WannaCry, a ransomware attack causing the shutdown of hospitals and factories internationally in 2017, which intelligence agencies pinned on North Korea.
Guo believes the WannaCry virus is an ideal example of how digital attacks and issues can manifest physical consequences. “WannaCry ... caused the [UK’s National Health Service] the equivalent of $100 million in damages and led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of doctors’ appointments,” he says. “It is not a leap to say this caused significant human harm, though it might be hard to pinpoint the effects exactly down to the patient.”
These concerns are still there today. Just this month a ransomware attack brought the city of Baltimore to a standstill, freezing government systems, disrupting estate sales, water bills, health alerts. Guo estimates that the total collective damages the six viruses on his laptop have caused are worth around $95 billion.
Assange charged in US with computer hacking conspiracy
The piece was commissioned by DeepInstinct, a cybersecurity firm, and is currently being auctioned online. A live stream of the laptop is also available, allowing viewers to observe the piece’s rising price tag, currently residing above $1.2 million. This may seem like a hefty sum in exchange for an old laptop riddled with malware, but Guo says he likes to think of the artwork as “a kind of bestiary — a catalogue of historical threats.”
This article originally appeared on The Verge.