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A martial arts enthusiast pulls a vehicle with a rope connected to his eye sockets during a performance in Hefei, Anhui province November 30, 2009. REUTERS/China Daily

Strange and unusual

Our photographers often capture moments that are strange and offbeat. Here's a recent sampling.  Slideshow 

    Free computer virus finds willing victims

    HELSINKI
    Wed May 23, 2007 9:56am EDT
    A woman types on a keyboard in a file photo. Computer specialist Didier Stevens put up a simple text advertisement on the Internet offering downloads of a computer virus for people who did not have any. Surprisingly, he found as many as 409 people clicking on the ad saying ''Is your PC virus-free? Get it infected here!'' during a 6-month advertising campaign on Google's Adword, said the IT security expert. REUTERS/Catherine Benson

    HELSINKI (Reuters) - Computer specialist Didier Stevens put up a simple text advertisement on the Internet offering downloads of a computer virus for people who did not have any.

    Oddly Enough

    Surprisingly, he found as many as 409 people clicking on the ad saying "Is your PC virus-free? Get it infected here!" during a 6-month advertising campaign on Google's Adword, said the IT security expert.

    "Some of them must have clicked on it by mistake. Some must have been curious or stupid," said Mikko Hypponen, head of research at data security firm F-Secure.

    There was no virus involved, it was an experiment aiming to show these kind of advertising systems can be used for malicious intent, Stevens told Reuters.
    Oddly Enough


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