Laptops for schoolkids loaded with Russian spyware

[Bird on a Fire]

A shipment of laptops supplied to British schoolkids by the Department for Education to help them learn under lockdown came preloaded with malware, The Register can reveal.

The affected laptops, supplied to schools under the government's Get Help With Technology (GHWT) scheme, which started last year, came bundled with the Gamarue malware – an old remote access worm from the 2010s.

The Register understands that a batch of 23,000 computers, the GeoBook 1E running Windows 10, made by Shenzhen-headquartered Tactus Group, contained the units that were loaded with malware. A spokesperson for the manufacturer was not available for comment.

https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/21/ ... s_malware/

Can these guys do anything right?

[bjn]

A shipment of laptops supplied to British schoolkids by the Department for Education to help them learn under lockdown came preloaded with malware, The Register can reveal.

The affected laptops, supplied to schools under the government's Get Help With Technology (GHWT) scheme, which started last year, came bundled with the Gamarue malware – an old remote access worm from the 2010s.

The Register understands that a batch of 23,000 computers, the GeoBook 1E running Windows 10, made by Shenzhen-headquartered Tactus Group, contained the units that were loaded with malware. A spokesperson for the manufacturer was not available for comment.

https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/21/ ... s_malware/

Can these guys do anything right?

No, no they can't.

[monkey]

A shipment of laptops supplied to British schoolkids by the Department for Education to help them learn under lockdown came preloaded with malware, The Register can reveal.

The affected laptops, supplied to schools under the government's Get Help With Technology (GHWT) scheme, which started last year, came bundled with the Gamarue malware – an old remote access worm from the 2010s.

The Register understands that a batch of 23,000 computers, the GeoBook 1E running Windows 10, made by Shenzhen-headquartered Tactus Group, contained the units that were loaded with malware. A spokesperson for the manufacturer was not available for comment.

https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/21/ ... s_malware/

Can these guys do anything right?

To be fair, it's probably not them, it'll be their cronies they gave the contracts to.

[dyqik]

A shipment of laptops supplied to British schoolkids by the Department for Education to help them learn under lockdown came preloaded with malware, The Register can reveal.

The affected laptops, supplied to schools under the government's Get Help With Technology (GHWT) scheme, which started last year, came bundled with the Gamarue malware – an old remote access worm from the 2010s.

The Register understands that a batch of 23,000 computers, the GeoBook 1E running Windows 10, made by Shenzhen-headquartered Tactus Group, contained the units that were loaded with malware. A spokesperson for the manufacturer was not available for comment.

https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/21/ ... s_malware/

Can these guys do anything right?

To be fair, it's probably not them, it'll be their cronies they gave the contracts to.

Same thing.

[monkey]

Well yes, but I thought a tongue in cheek comment linking this to other the many other examples of f.ck ups and waste due to cronyism over the past year was a Good Idea as a roundabout way to indicate what the problem might be.

The idea of being fair to the Tories should not be taken seriously. Here's the smiley mojii that I should have put in to indicate a joke: