Twenty years ago, the Weekly World News published an article that warned you that hackers can make your PC explode:
Be warned! Having that device in your house is dangerous, be wary of the possible explosion and fire! DDOS attacks are nothing compared to the bomb that waits for you in the future, or phishing, or spam. Someone can craft an email that will turn that PC of yours into a grenade
The National Vulnerability Database has vulnerability data going back to 2002. I downloaded it, and guess what. Not a single vulnerability is about fire, explosion, boom, or even grenade. I even looked for smoke. No smoke was found. Nothing about turning a computer into a grenade by opening the wrong email.
This article was written in a way to spread fear and distrust. Why should you have a personal computer in your house if it’s going to blow up? It’s dangerous!
This twenty year old article is Fake News. Fake News isn’t a new problem, it’s an old problem with a new coat of paint.
DTRAP has a special issue on Fake News and its threats to the Digital Ecosystem. Write your own article and submit it today at https://dtrap.acm.org/
