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Computer viruses make it to orbit | Computer viruses make it to orbit |
(about 6 hours later) | |
A computer virus is alive and well on the International Space Station (ISS). | A computer virus is alive and well on the International Space Station (ISS). |
Nasa has confirmed that laptops carried to the ISS in July were infected with a virus known as Gammima.AG. | Nasa has confirmed that laptops carried to the ISS in July were infected with a virus known as Gammima.AG. |
The worm was first detected on Earth in August 2007 and lurks on infected machines waiting to steal login names for popular online games. | |
Nasa said it was not the first time computer viruses had travelled into space and it was investigating how the machines were infected. | Nasa said it was not the first time computer viruses had travelled into space and it was investigating how the machines were infected. |
Orbital outbreak | Orbital outbreak |
Space news website SpaceRef broke the story about the virus on the laptops that astronauts took to the ISS. | Space news website SpaceRef broke the story about the virus on the laptops that astronauts took to the ISS. |
Nasa told SpaceRef that no command or control systems of the ISS were at risk from the malicious program. | Nasa told SpaceRef that no command or control systems of the ISS were at risk from the malicious program. |
The laptops infected with the virus were used to run nutritional programs and let the astronauts periodically send e-mail back to Earth. | The laptops infected with the virus were used to run nutritional programs and let the astronauts periodically send e-mail back to Earth. |
The laptops carried by astronauts reportedly do not have any anti-virus software on them to prevent infection. | The laptops carried by astronauts reportedly do not have any anti-virus software on them to prevent infection. |
Once it has scooped up passwords and login names the Gammima.AG worm virus tries to send them back to a central server. It targets a total of 10 games most of which are popular in the Far East such as Maple Story, HuangYi Online and Talesweaver. | Once it has scooped up passwords and login names the Gammima.AG worm virus tries to send them back to a central server. It targets a total of 10 games most of which are popular in the Far East such as Maple Story, HuangYi Online and Talesweaver. |
Nasa is working with partners on the ISS to find out how the virus got on to the laptop in the first place. | Nasa is working with partners on the ISS to find out how the virus got on to the laptop in the first place. |
The ISS has no direct net connection and all data traffic travelling from the ground to the spacecraft is scanned before being transmitted. | The ISS has no direct net connection and all data traffic travelling from the ground to the spacecraft is scanned before being transmitted. |
It is thought that the virus might have travelled via a flash or USB drive owned by an astronaut and taken into space. | It is thought that the virus might have travelled via a flash or USB drive owned by an astronaut and taken into space. |
The space agency also plans to put in place security systems to stop such incidents happening in the future. | The space agency also plans to put in place security systems to stop such incidents happening in the future. |
Nasa told Wired News that viruses had infected laptops taken to the ISS on several occasions but the outbreaks always only been a "nuisance". | Nasa told Wired News that viruses had infected laptops taken to the ISS on several occasions but the outbreaks always only been a "nuisance". |