When someone is having computer problems, they often overreact and think that there is something major going on.

What would you do if your CEO thought he was being hacked because his computer was acting weird?

That is what happened to the tech support guy in this story, so he quickly went to the CEO’s office, noticed a newspaper laying on part of the keyboard, and removed it, fixing the problem.

The CEO of 3500 employees just called…

So, I was hired by a big defense company (upgrade tanks, naval weapons, etc) with over 3500 employees. You can imagine this was a very big company.

This must have been a large campus.

We were in building 34 and if you needed to go somewhere quick you took a bike or an electric car.

I usually did 2nd line support, but they had a couple of people call in sick and asked me to do first line support.

Pretty standard stuff.

It was a Friday and not much was happening, besides the usual email problems and tech guys turning off Unix machines that needed a check disk command with admin rights.

The phone rings.

Oh boy, what is going on?

Yes hello, this the secretary of the CEO. We need you to come over NOW! We have a big problem.

ME: What seems to be wrong?

Well, maybe she is being a bit dramatic.

Her: Mr. CEO is trying to open a file in Word, but every time he does this, scrambled text is showing up. I THINK WE ARE BEING HACKED!

(this was a big issue, since a couple of weeks before this a group of activists broke into the company and climbed on top of our radar tower)

Me: I’ll take a look from here and take over your screen. Hang on.

Hmm, what is going on?

So I take over his screen this is what happens: File, open: JKAHSFHJKHJHJJJJJJFJJJJJSAKKKALALLLALLALLALALLAL*UUU**JJJDKJKJASLKLKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

HER: I don’t know what this is. You see?!? This is so weird…

At least he knows what is going on.

Now, I knew what was wrong at this moment, but i wanted to see in person. You don’t just walk into the exec office every day.

ME: Uhuh. I’ll be there as soon as possible!

You always rush right over for the CEO.

So, I grab this electric car, drive over and 5 minutes later i walk into the executive building. A very nice building, totally different from the rest of the offices.

They even had their own dining room and bar. The security guy sees me coming and waves me through, he was informed of my coming and understood the importance.

Everyone is freaking out.

I get out of the elevator at the top floor and am greeted by the secretary, a manager and some other assistant, all a bit panicked.

Come over, have a look at this! The CEO says..

So, what is it?

He shows me: File, open: JKAHSFHJKHJHJJJJJJFJJJJJSAKKKALALLLALLALLALALLAL*UUU**JJJDKJKJASLKLKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

So i look at him. I look at every single person in that room. You could feel the suspense. I look back at the computer.

LOL – WOW. I bet he was embarrassed.

I pick up the newspaper that was on top of the keyboard and ask:

try again please?

The looks on their face: Priceless. (Got a free lunch with the CEO)

Sometimes it is the simplest things, but when people are freaking out, it is often the calm response that finds the problem.

Read on to see what the people in the comments thought of this story.

I love it when a fix is easy.

Helping the right people can really pay off.

They always think it is a virus.

Those CD Drives can be hidden well.

Sometimes it is the simplest things that get the job done.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.