Contaminated Air Force computer

Contaminated Air Force computer
U.S. drone arm fighting with viruses

An embarrassing mishap, it is in any case, but how big is the risk? At
the U.S. air force base Creech apparently several computers are infected
by a virus that logs all keystrokes, among other things. With these
computers, U.S. drones are remotely controlled.

Washington - "Nobody is panicking - yet." With these words, quoting the
magazine "Wired" an unnamed source from the U.S. Air Force. In the
"Wired" Danger Room blog is about the reason for the concern reported: A
computer virus had infected the computers are controlled from which U.S.
combat drones. The remote-controlled light aircraft is currently the
preferred weapon in the fight against insurgents in Iraq, Afghanistan
and Yemen. Even the al-Qaida terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki was probably
killed in Yemen by a drone attack.

Controlled many of the drones, named "Predator" and "Reaper" from the
Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. There has obviously now a virus
implanted that logs all keystrokes on the respective computers. The
"Wired" report, Creech currently being sought in vain to get rid of the
intruder again. "We delete it again and again, and he always comes
back," the magazine quotes an unnamed source. They assume that the virus
is "benign", but ". We just do not know exactly"

Even compared to the Reuters news agency confirmed the existence of
another unnamed source of the virus on Air Force computers: "There is
something going on, but this has on missions overseas no influence," the
agency quoted its source.

Targeted attack or accidental infection?

"Wired" was, according to the now more precisely described in Creech
virus two weeks ago by the security system of the U.S. military
discovered that the remote pilot would not be deterred from carrying out
further missions. Still seems unclear whether it was a targeted attack
or an accidental infection is one of the numerous viruses that are
constantly on the road network.

Actually military used computers should be generally immune from such
attacks: they are usually not connected to the Internet, which is
considered as the only way to protect themselves against such attacks
and secure from hacker attacks. The computers allow in Creech However,
unlike many other military computers, "Wired" According to the
connection of external drives. For example, drones recorded video and
card data from one computer to another would be transported. If such a
drive previously depended on a Internet-connected computer, the virus
could have arrived on this path in the "entnetzten" military machine.
The use of external drives is now worldwide on all Air Force bases have
been banned, "reports Wired."

In a similar way, for example, damaged the Stuxnet virus, the Iranian
nuclear program. He was probably introduced via a contaminated USB stick
into the computer systems actually disconnected from the power of Iran's
Natanz nuclear facility. Even U.S. military computers have been
previously carried on external hard drives, introduced viruses have been
compromised.

Every keystroke logging

The virus surfaced now transported apparently called a keylogger. Such a
malicious program logs every keystroke on the infected machine and sends
this information to the more-or those who have brought the program into
circulation. However, this should be impossible to separate from the
network computers.

The remote-controlled combat planes are not affected for the first time
of a security problem. In December 2009 it was announced that Iraqi
insurgents with commercially available, much cheaper technology
intercepted the video feeds from drones. The "Wall Street Journal"
reported on laptops seized during arrests were U.S. soldiers discovered
"hours and hours" of material from drone cameras. Many of the aircraft
to send their video conferences over unencrypted to their ground stations.

A military spokesman declined to comment on the report about the virus
"wired" to non-official. Give generally to security vulnerabilities or
attacks on its own systems from any comments. It will, however, invested
heavily "in order to protect our systems to monitor and to counter
threats and to ensure safety." This included also "a comprehensive
response to viruses, worms and other malware that we discover."

Even the CIA uses "Reaper" - and "Predator" drone, according to Reuters
in Yemen, Afghanistan and Libya. The "Washington Post" reports U.S.
drones have killed over since the year 2001 2000 insurgents and civilians.