The Malicious Code that Affected the Printer

The Problem

In the fall of 2002, amid the chaos caused by the spread of the first variant of the Bugbear malware, a worm known for its self-replication capabilities, I found myself in an unforgettable experience. That day, we received dozens of calls from users reporting potential infections. Among them, a user called, saying her computer was infected, and she couldn’t print.

Troubleshooting

The case went through several engineers, and we tried every troubleshooting method we could find online. Since no antivirus signature was available yet, we had to remove the malicious code manually. After an exhaustive review of the computer, we found nothing. The user was frustrated, and we were exhausted.

The Moment of Revelation

Then someone — I honestly can’t remember who, and I don’t want to take undeserved credit — asked the million-dollar question:

— Could you check if the printer is connected?

I think you can guess the answer.

Key Take Aways

• Always check if the printer is connected when there’s an issue.
• Take a moment to analyze the facts before taking action, even under pressure.
• When things are complicated, ask someone who isn’t involved for a fresh perspective — it might make all the difference.
• Share your experience with your team so others don’t face the same issue.