A computer virus has infected the United States Air Force’s Reaper and Predator drones, logging every keystroke of the pilots as they remotely fly missions over warzones, including Afghanistan.
The virus was first detected around two weeks ago by the U.S. Military’s Host-Based Security System. Even though it has been detected, it did not cause massive panic and did not prevent pilots at Creech Air Force base from flying their missions. According to reports, there have not been any incidents of classified data that has been lost, stolen or sent to an outside source.
Network specialists said that the virus has resisted their attempts to remove it.
The U.S. has not grounded the said drones, and sources from the military claimed that it had not gained access to classified information. Specialists also said that it might be a common malware that just made its way into sensitive networks.
Some reports say that the bug got into the system through a hard drive or a disk that picked up the virus somewhere else.
“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,” an Air Combat Command representative told tech website Wired. “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.”
via: Today
