If you thought the world is crazy-it’s not but people are. Last week a laptop loaded with malware for auctioned at an asking price of $1.5m. The laptop contained six of the world’s most dangerous malware to have crossed the web; ILOVEYOU, MyDoom, DarkTequila, BlackEnergy, SoBig, and the latest malware WannaCry that was a threat back in 2017.
The project was commissioned by a cyber-security firm that paid an online artist by the name Guo O Dong to inject 6 of the world’s most dangerous malware in a ten-year-old laptop.
Persistence of chaos the artwork’s name was a project funded by Deep Instinct. The total cost invested, as reported by Artnet, was $10,000. You’d ask what was that all money for anyway? The project stated that most of the cash went to air gapping the laptop or in simple terms firewalled from connecting to any network to prevent the spread of the malware.
The laptop itself isn’t an Alienware laptop or a Gold MacBook Pro as you would’ve guessed. It’s a Samsung Blue Netbook that could have cost you only $499 back in 2008 at the time of launch.
The six malware in total have cost the world an estimate of $95 billion in total; the reason why the artwork was quarantined in an individual housing unit in New York.
Due to the risks the laptop poses, the auction disclaimer stated: “As a buyer, you recognize that this work represents a potential security hazard.” The auction which started on Monday saw a high bidding price of $1.345million last night from an unknown buyer.
Think this auction was worth bargaining for? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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