Some unlucky people got more than an expected from O2. O2 sent out USB pens as part of marketing campaign. Some were loaded with a virus that attacked Windows computers. When O2 became aware of the issue they sent out an email warning that the virus may not get picked up by out-of-date Anti-Virus software. They also warned that for anyone using their computer as a web server, the virus would also attack anyone who visits their website. O2 blamed a ‘supplier issue’ for the problem.
The lessons to come out of this are:
- Keep your anti-virus up to date. This virus was targeted at Windows users, but viruses also exist that target Apple devices
- Be wary of accepting USB devices
- Think twice about using USB devices to market your company. If there was a virus on a device you sent out and someone had issue, they will probably not be saying positive things about your company