American drones hit by computer virus

[Calz]

Now here's some comforting news.

Not enough the military doesn't have to sully their hands by risking (pilot) lives ... now there is the convenient excuse if they kill a bunch of civilians by mistake they can blame it on computer hackers ...


10322

A virus has infected America's drone fleet, Wired's Noah Shachtman reports. It logs every keystroke operators type from their base in Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, but that hasn't halted their missions. Though the military hasn't found any incidents of the virus sending information to an outside source, they haven't been able to get rid of it. Shachtman explains:

"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."

Military network security specialists aren't sure whether the virus and its so-called "keylogger" payload were introduced intentionally or by accident; it may be a common piece of malware that just happened to make its way into these sensitive networks. The specialists don't know exactly how far the virus has spread. But they’re sure that the infection has hit both classified and unclassified machines at Creech.

The U.S. has increasingly relied on drones to carry out the war on terror in Afghanistan in recent years. Al Qaeda YouTube preacher Anwar al-Awlaki was killed last month by a drone strike in Yemen.

http://news.yahoo.com/american-drones-infected-computer-virus-180019767.html

[sandy]

Just a convenient "cover thy arse" scenario prepared to placate any upsets at the revealing of civilian murders by NATO Forces !!!IMHO

[Darla Ken Pearce]

I declare this "Love and Encourage your Local Hacker Week." The best ones are twelve years old, so buy them Hersey Bars ~ they work for food and video games ~ a good challenge is a bonus these days. Boredom is their worst enemy. As they say, A child shall lead them. Carry on troops ; )

[craig mitchell]

I hope the virus mutates and makes the whole damn system unusable! I'm picturing the virus like crabgrass in the lawn. Drives ya crazy, doesn't it?

Hack away boys, it's your turn to shine!

Regards, Craig

[Sidney]

I hope it spreads to the chemtrail planes.:plane::plane::plane:

[PurpleLama]

I've had lots of drones in my neighborhood, most recent was yesterday! Tiny little private jet looking things with no windows, or windshields. They sound like a jet, but aren't much louder than a lawnmower would be. You can barely even hear them inside without tv or radio on. They fly around just over the treetops. To be fair, I live about 10 miles from camp shelby, and probably less than 90 miles from Keesler AFB, so I realize it is probable they are training, rather than spying on little ole me. But, four times now I am certain they have flown over my property, twice I've seen it, the other two times I heard it but didn't get outside in time before they had gotten behind the tree line. There is no mistaking the sound once you've heard it.

[Bryn ap Gwilym]

I smell a rat here. If your security is breached, then you take that system off line & analyse the logs until you have rectified the problem & not carry on bombing the innocent. Keylogging malware my foot..

It would be interesting to know what operating system they use.


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."

Sorce: Sott (http://www.sott.net/articles/show/236007-Computer-Virus-Hits-U-S-Drone-Fleet)

[Mad Hatter]

@Purple Lama I'm not sure what the air traffic rules are for your location but here nothing should be below 1500ft except in an emergency. Tree top height is way below that so maybe try and film an incident then complain to the relevant Authority. Least ways it'll give them something to think about and post the excuse it should be hilarious...

[Lifebringer]

Well the Chinese got the heliocopter data from Pakistan and now have the baseline code. Any number of backdoors can be introduced to just float around until commanded to do an action. Let's hope not a remote to teh targets that can be hit.

Track the cookies, and see who is behind it, I have my ideas of who they are, and they aren't really our friend. They've been infiltrating wars now for 60 years through our politicians.

[ktlight]

FYI:

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.”

Military network security specialists aren’t sure whether the virus and its so-called “keylogger” payload were introduced intentionally or by accident; it may be a common piece of malware that just happened to make its way into these sensitive networks. The specialists don’t know exactly how far the virus has spread. But they’re sure that the infection has hit both classified and unclassified machines at Creech. That raises the possibility, at least, that secret data may have been captured by the keylogger, and then transmitted over the public internet to someone outside the military chain of command.

source to continue

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/virus-hits-drone-fleet/

[Calz]

Popular topic ... think this is the 3rd thread about it :)

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?32082-American-drones-hit-by-computer-virus

[ktlight]

Popular topic ... think this is the 3rd thread about it :)

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?32082-American-drones-hit-by-computer-virus

I had asked mods to merge mine with yours.

[ThePythonicCow]

Popular topic ... think this is the 3rd thread about it :)

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?32082-American-drones-hit-by-computer-virus



Popular topic ... think this is the 3rd thread about it :)

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?32082-American-drones-hit-by-computer-virus

I had asked mods to merge mine with yours.

Merged :) :cow: :)