-
Gawd
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:03 pm
-
Contact:
Post
by Gawd » Sun Oct 09, 2011 10:38 pm
Exclusive: Computer Virus Hits U.S. Drone Fleet
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.
The virus, first detected nearly two weeks ago by the military’s Host-Based Security System, has not prevented pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada from flying their missions overseas. Nor have there been any confirmed incidents of classified information being lost or sent to an outside source. But the virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech’s computers, network security specialists say. And the infection underscores the ongoing security risks in what has become the U.S. military’s most important weapons system.
“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.”
......
In the meantime, technicians at Creech are trying to get the virus off the GCS machines. It has not been easy. At first, they followed removal instructions posted on the website of the Kaspersky security firm. “But the virus kept coming back,” a source familiar with the infection says. Eventually, the technicians had to use a software tool called BCWipe to completely erase the GCS’ internal hard drives. “That meant rebuilding them from scratch” — a time-consuming effort.
The Air Force declined to comment directly on the virus. “We generally do not discuss specific vulnerabilities, threats, or responses to our computer networks, since that helps people looking to exploit or attack our systems to refine their approach,” says Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis, a spokesman for Air Combat Command, which oversees the drones and all other Air Force tactical aircraft. “We invest a lot in protecting and monitoring our systems to counter threats and ensure security, which includes a comprehensive response to viruses, worms, and other malware we discover.”
.....
Go Iran!
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10 ... one-fleet/
-
klr
- (%gibber(who=klr, what=Leprageek);)
- Posts: 32964
- Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:25 pm
- About me: The money was just resting in my account.
- Location: Airstrip Two
-
Contact:
Post
by klr » Sun Oct 09, 2011 11:00 pm
Gee ... not a mention of Iran in the article.
Also, FWIW, drones don't have cockpits - that's part of what makes them drones. [/pedant]
God has no place within these walls, just like facts have no place within organized religion. - Superintendent Chalmers
It's not up to us to choose which laws we want to obey. If it were, I'd kill everyone who looked at me cock-eyed! - Rex Banner
The Bluebird of Happiness long absent from his life, Ned is visited by the Chicken of Depression. - Gary Larson
-
Gawd
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:03 pm
-
Contact:
Post
by Gawd » Sun Oct 09, 2011 11:06 pm
klr wrote:Gee ... not a mention of Iran in the article.
Also, FWIW, drones don't have cockpits - that's part of what makes them drones. [/pedant]
You seriously don't think Iran would just plain say, "We hacked u, LOL!!!!" do you?
-
klr
- (%gibber(who=klr, what=Leprageek);)
- Posts: 32964
- Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:25 pm
- About me: The money was just resting in my account.
- Location: Airstrip Two
-
Contact:
Post
by klr » Mon Oct 10, 2011 12:06 am
Gawd wrote:klr wrote:Gee ... not a mention of Iran in the article.
Also, FWIW, drones don't have cockpits - that's part of what makes them drones. [/pedant]
You seriously don't think Iran would just plain say, "We hacked u, LOL!!!!" do you?
The world is full of hackers. It could have been the Chinese, the Russians, hell, even home-grown hackers.
God has no place within these walls, just like facts have no place within organized religion. - Superintendent Chalmers
It's not up to us to choose which laws we want to obey. If it were, I'd kill everyone who looked at me cock-eyed! - Rex Banner
The Bluebird of Happiness long absent from his life, Ned is visited by the Chicken of Depression. - Gary Larson
-
Gawdzilla Sama
- Stabsobermaschinist
- Posts: 151265
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 12:24 am
- About me: My posts are related to the thread in the same way Gliese 651b is related to your mother's underwear drawer.
- Location: Sitting next to Ayaan in Domus Draconis, and communicating via PMs.
-
Contact:
Post
by Gawdzilla Sama » Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:02 am
Assange all accounted for?
Ein Ubootsoldat wrote:“Ich melde mich ab. Grüssen Sie bitte meine Kameraden.”
-
amused
- amused
- Posts: 3873
- Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:04 pm
- About me: Reinvention phase initiated
-
Contact:
Post
by amused » Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:18 am
Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis later admitted that this false story was released in order to trick the dumbasses who tried to send them a virus into opening a line of communication so the US could stuff a big one up their telecommunications network.
-
Rum
- Absent Minded Processor
- Posts: 37285
- Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:25 pm
- Location: South of the border..though not down Mexico way..
-
Contact:
Post
by Rum » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:23 am
Format 'C'?
-
Robert_S
- Cookie Monster
- Posts: 13416
- Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:47 am
- About me: Too young to die of boredom, too old to grow up.
- Location: Illinois
-
Contact:
Post
by Robert_S » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:27 am
Rum wrote:Format 'C'?
The US military had better not be using Windows.
What I've found with a few discussions I've had lately is this self-satisfaction that people express with their proffessed open mindedness. In realty it ammounts to wilful ignorance and intellectual cowardice as they are choosing to not form any sort of opinion on a particular topic. Basically "I don't know and I'm not going to look at any evidence because I'm quite happy on this fence."
-Mr P
The Net is best considered analogous to communication with disincarnate intelligences. As any neophyte would tell you. Do not invoke that which you have no facility to banish.
Audley Strange
-
Rum
- Absent Minded Processor
- Posts: 37285
- Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:25 pm
- Location: South of the border..though not down Mexico way..
-
Contact:
Post
by Rum » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:29 am
Robert_S wrote:Rum wrote:Format 'C'?
The US military had better not be using Windows.
Yeah - they use Vista.
-
Robert_S
- Cookie Monster
- Posts: 13416
- Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:47 am
- About me: Too young to die of boredom, too old to grow up.
- Location: Illinois
-
Contact:
Post
by Robert_S » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:30 am
Rum wrote:Robert_S wrote:Rum wrote:Format 'C'?
The US military had better not be using Windows.
Yeah - they use Vista.
Then I'm defecting.
What I've found with a few discussions I've had lately is this self-satisfaction that people express with their proffessed open mindedness. In realty it ammounts to wilful ignorance and intellectual cowardice as they are choosing to not form any sort of opinion on a particular topic. Basically "I don't know and I'm not going to look at any evidence because I'm quite happy on this fence."
-Mr P
The Net is best considered analogous to communication with disincarnate intelligences. As any neophyte would tell you. Do not invoke that which you have no facility to banish.
Audley Strange
-
JimC
- The sentimental bloke
- Posts: 74293
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 7:58 am
- About me: To be serious about gin requires years of dedicated research.
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
-
Contact:
Post
by JimC » Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:27 am
Robert_S wrote:Rum wrote:Robert_S wrote:Rum wrote:Format 'C'?
The US military had better not be using Windows.
Yeah - they use Vista.
Then I'm defecting.
And I'm defecating!
Nurse, where the fuck's my cardigan?
And my gin!
-
Clinton Huxley
- 19th century monkeybitch.
- Posts: 23746
- Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:34 pm
-
Contact:
Post
by Clinton Huxley » Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:55 am
These drones should have their own Facebook accounts - "just blew up a wedding party. LOL!"
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests
