Russian Cyberattack Hits US Central Command

Malware targeted combat systems

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 28, 2008 5:01 AM CST

(Newser) – Defense Department computers have been hit by a computer virus from Russia, Los Angeles Times reports. Malware has infected large parts of the military system, including Central Command systems and computers used in Iraq and Afghanistan combat zones. The military scrambled to stop the infection and banned the use of flash drives.

The military is often hit by viruses and hackers, but officials believe this virus—which computer experts say could allow a hacker to seize control of a computer—was specifically designed to target military systems. The military's electronics experts are unsure whether the malware originated with an individual hacker or whether the Russian government may be involved.

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A computer engineer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, works amid the rows of processors and network cabinets of the new SGI Altix 4700 supercomputer Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Skip Peterson)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

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There are lots of people working hard to remove the threat and put in preventive measures to protect the grid. We have taken a number of corrective measures, but I would be overstating it if I said we were through this.
- Defense Department official

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Russian Cyberattack Hits US Central Command