10.2-inch Samsung NC10-14GB loaded with six dangerous viruses going for over US$1 million in live auction

We are sure we are not alone in thinking we’d never see the day that a 10.2-inch Samsung NC10-14GB could ever be sold for in excess of US$1.2 million but that is indeed what is about to happen. To cap things off, the device is pre-loaded with six of the most dangerous computer viruses to have wreaked havoc across the planet. The reason for the crazy bidding is because it is actually a piece of contemporary art called The Persistence of Chaos by internet artist Guo O Dong.

“We have this fantasy that things that happen in computers can’t actually affect us, but this is absurd,” Guo told The Verge. “Weaponized viruses that affect power grids or public infrastructure can cause direct harm.” “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 added. “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.”

The total damage bill of the six loaded viruses, which include WannaCry, ILOVEYOU, MyDoom, SoBig, DarkTequila and BlackEnergy totals at least US$95 billion. Thankfully, unless you hook the laptop up to a Wi-Fi connection or plug in a USB stick, the viruses will remain quarantined on the machine. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the work was commissioned in conjunction with a cybersecurity firm Deep Instinct which provided the malware and the support needed to load the viruses on safely. At the time of writing, there was just under a day left to place a bid.