Virus-packed laptop sells as an artwork for over US$1.3 million

10 Jul 2019

Virus-packed laptop sells as an artwork for over US$1.3 million

Virus-packed laptop sells as an artwork for over US$1.3 millionA virus-laden laptop created as an artwork by Chinese artist Guo O Dong was sold for US$1.3 million.
The artwork is called The Persistence of Chaos and it was sold in a New York online auction.

The artwork is a simple black Samsung 2008 10-inch Netbook (running Microsoft’s now-outdated Windows XP), loaded with six deadly viruses.
 	Its memory chips are loaded with six of the most deadly computer viruses:

I LOVE YOU (2000),
 	Sobig (2003),
 	MyDoom (2004), 
 	DarkTequila (2013),
 	BlackEnergy (2015),
 	WannaCry ransomware

It is a powerful symbol of the threat one simple laptop can pose to the entire world.
 	The six viruses loaded on it have caused at least US$95 billion in damage around the world, according to Guo.

The auction site was organised by cyber security group Deep Instinct. The buyer was not identified.

The computer, viewed via an online video stream, was not connected to any network or the internet and harmless as a standalone machine
 	It came with a warning to the buyer that the viruses should not be distributed in any way.

The site stressed that the artwork is for research use only.

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A virus-laden laptop created as an artwork by Chinese artist Guo O Dong was sold for US$1.3 million. The artwork is called The Persistence of […]

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