Exclusive: Computer Virus Hits U.S. Drone Fleet

[maco]

A computer virus has infected the cockpits of America’s Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots’ every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/...one-fleet/

[Paul F.]

I'll bet a quarter that when the full story is known, it'll turn out they run Windows as the OS for part of the system, and some pimply Predator jockey put his USB drive full of porn and viruses into one of the "secure" computers....

[freeradical]

“We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back,” says a source familiar with the network infection, one of three that told Danger Room about the virus. “We think it’s benign. But we just don’t know.”

This sounds like the AdobeResorceSynchronizer.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Pretty sad. I can understand why a portion of drones would get infected because they want to be able to quickly check OS updates, but I think not running the majority of them off of ROM is stupid.

[particleman]

So know someone will know whether it is down down up A B B or down up down A A B to activate the special attack sequence.

[Acer]

particleman wrote:
So know someone will know whether it is down down up A B B or down up down A A B to activate the special attack sequence.

Maybe it's a Wii interface, so it's swing your right arm thus, and stick your left hip out so.

[Article Accelerator]

Paul F. wrote:
I'll bet a quarter that when the full story is known, it'll turn out they run Windows as the OS for part of the system

Indeed:

http://macdailynews.com/2011/10/08/the-m...er-drones/

[Zoidberg]

freeradical wrote:

“We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back,” says a source familiar with the network infection, one of three that told Danger Room about the virus. “We think it’s benign. But we just don’t know.”

This sounds like the AdobeResorceSynchronizer.

Ha; was just about to post that.

[SDGuy]

Paul F. wrote:
I'll bet a quarter that when the full story is known, it'll turn out they run Windows as the OS for part of the system, and some pimply Predator jockey put his USB drive full of porn and viruses into one of the "secure" computers....

:agree:

This could happen in ANY work environment, but having worked with enlisted personnel who must use technology everyday, I sometimes wonder how they manage to figure out how to even use a roll of toilet paper...

[M A V I C]

Most high security government computers either don't have USB ports or have had them physically disabled.