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ISS laptops hit with virus |
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Written by Derek Kessler on
Thursday, 28 August 2008
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 Inexplicably, a computer virus designed to steal the passwords of online gamers has appeared on laptop computers in use aboard the International Space Station. Deemed a low risk, the virus was detected late last month, and according to NASA, does not pose a threat to the space station. The virus several laptop computers used to tabulate data for minor experiments and for personal use by the three astronauts aboard the ISS. There are 71 laptops aboard the orbital outpost, though not all of them are vulnerable to the Windows-based virus, many lack basic virus protection.
NASA has rationalized their decision to not install virus scanning software on the majority of the laptops by explaining that all internet access from the station is routed through secure NASA, ESA, and Russian servers before reaching the open web. According to anti-virus software manufacturer Symantec, the virus is a very low risk worm that spreads by copying itself onto removable media such as flash drives.
The question is, how did the virus manage to migrate to the International Space Station? At 320 km (200 miles) above the Earth, it’s not exactly easy to pass around a virus-infected flash card. It is likely that the virus traveled aboard on a personal flash drive carried by one of the current ISS residents, as has happened in the past. As before, this virus is considered by NASA to be a nuisance and they are taking measures to ensure that such an event does not occur again.
A new allotment of flash cards is scheduled to launch on the next Soyuz flight from Russia. NASA is working with Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, to make sure that all of the new cards are thoroughly scanned for any digital hitchhikers.
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"Death to the opposition."
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