“The Persistence of Chaos” is a masterpiece created by internet artist Guo O Dong. It is an ordinary laptop filled with six of the most dangerous viruses and other malware in the world.

 

However, the laptop isn’t as dangerous as it sounds because it is termed perfectly safe. Well, it’s safe until you mistakenly or purposely decide to plug in a USB or connect it to your Wi-Fi device.

 

Guo O Dong said that the intention behind the laptop is to make the abstract threats in the digital world a lot more tangible and physical. He said this in an interview.

 

He said,

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

 

The laptop is currently being auctioned online. DeepInstinct, a cybersecurity firm, commissioned it. He also live-streamed the auction. The price tag is currently at $1.2 million. The artist refers to the computer as a “kind of bestiary — a catalogue of historical threats.”

 

 

He chose the viruses based on the magnitude of the economic damage they have caused. The laptop, which is a 14-gigabyte, 10.2-inch Samsung NC10, included six viruses. Two of them are the ILOVEYOU virus and the WannaCry virus.

 

The ILOVEYOU virus is a computer bug from the year 2000 that, when attached to emails, appears like a “love letter.”

 

The WannaCry, on the other hand, is a ransomware attack that shut down computers in factories and hospital all over the world in 2017. American Intelligence suggests links of the virus to North Korea.

 

Other viruses contained in the laptop are the MyDoom which caused a $38 billion damage and SoBig with $37 billion damage. It also includes DarkTequila and BlackEnergy.

 

O Dong explained that the WannaCry malware “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. 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”. He illustrated that it was a perfect example of how online attacks can have real-life consequences.

 

In Baltimore USA, a virus attack affected many computers in May 2019. It froze government systems and disrupted business in health, real estate and water. The six viruses on the laptop have caused an estimated $95 billion worth of damage altogether. The laptop will ship from, New York City in the United States.