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Taiwanese Police Give Cyber-security Quiz Winners Infected Devices (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the oops-they-did-it-again dept.

Taiwan's national police agency said 54 of the flash drives it gave out at an event highlighting a government's cybercrime crackdown contained malware. From a report: The virus, which can steal personal data and has been linked to fraud, was added inadvertently, it said. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) apologised for the error and blamed the mishap on a third-party contractor. It said 20 of the drives had been recovered. Around 250 flash drives were given out at the expo, which was hosted by Taiwan's Presidential Office from 11-15 December and aimed to highlight the government's determination to crack down on cybercrime.

16 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah by nospam007 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "The virus, which can steal personal data and has been linked to fraud, was added inadvertently, "

    They always say that.

    1. Re:Yeah by hey! · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No, if you refuse the infected device you receive immunity for the next round.

      You see, in the game of cybersecurity nobody, technically speaking, "wins". The object of the game isn't to win, it's to play indefinitely while accumulating the fewest possible losses.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  2. Who is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    watching the watchers?

    This looks more like the CIB wanted to investigate people who were knowledgeable than just an accident

  3. In related news... by swm · · Score: 2

    firehouse burns down.

  4. Well well by volodymyrbiryuk · · Score: 2

    The quiz winners weren't so smart after all if they accepted electronic devices from a police agency.

    --
    sudo rm -r -f --no-preserve-root /
    1. Re:Well well by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Informative

      We'll always accept them. We have a couple of machines specifically set up for this kind of thing, one with a USB analyser to look for low-level attacks and a RPi to look for software attacks. It's always interesting to see what you get on a free USB stick (police agency or otherwise).

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  5. Final challenge by Translation+Error · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It was the secret final challenge. To win it, people had to refuse the offered flash drives.

    --
    When someone says, "Any fool can see ..." they're usually exactly right.
  6. Surely... by Arab · · Score: 2

    Surely this was just part of the test?

  7. smell the coffee by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    This has GOT to be a wake up call, people. WAKE THE FUCK UP!

    1. Re:smell the coffee by skovnymfe · · Score: 1

      Coffee? There's no coffee where these people are going.

  8. Of course not... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    To win it they had to repurpose the malware on the flash drive to point to THEIR servers, and then drop it back in the Taiwanese Police's parking lot to be picked up by an unwitting officer, whereup plugging it into his computer the Quiz Winner is given access to government databases they can use to thwart their rivals, or nosy police officers getting a bit too close to convicting them :)

  9. We have met the enemy ... by PPH · · Score: 1

    .... and he is us.

    - Walt Kelly

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  10. This is amusing by kilodelta · · Score: 1

    Years ago I had worked for the RI Sec. of State's office. It was housed in the sub-basement of the RI State House. We used to always think of ways to test information security - like getting a few USB sticks and printing the state seal on them and scattering them in the parking lots.

    But of course cops being cops - they would pass out infected USB sticks to info-sec quiz winners.

  11. Re:Bullshit by Wulf2k · · Score: 1

    Way to play into their hands and place the surveillance device directly into a cantenna.

  12. Re:Government Honeypot by SScorpio · · Score: 1

    Hey now, he just grew this epic beard. Nobody should have been able to recognize him.

  13. Re:With Love from China by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

    It's Taiwan, the LEGITIMATE China. Not the fake commie one.

    --
    Circumcision is child abuse.