Russian Cyberattack Hits US Central Command

Malware targeted combat systems
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 28, 2008 5:01 AM CST
Russian Cyberattack Hits US Central Command
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)

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.
(More hacker stories.)

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