How many books can claim they’ve inspired a computer virus? Not too many, but as the Register reported earlier this week, hackers are attempting to exploit Potter-mania with the release of a worm that attempts to infect USB memory drives. The Hairy-A worm poses as a file containing a copy of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. The infected file normally comes on infected USB drives. If users plug these drives into their Windows PCs they are liable to infect their machines, especially if they have allowed USB drives to “auto-run”. The worm also changes the Internet Explorer home page of compromised machines to an Amazon.com web page selling a parody book of the teenage wizard series entitled Harry Putter and the Chamber of Cheesecakes.
And according to one commenter, “I’m tempted to say that anyone who gets infected by this deserves it. They shouldn’t be trying to get hold of a copy of the book before publication date. They should wait like everyone else”