Cosmonauts Regularly Infect International Space Station With Malware: Kaspersky | TechTree.com

Cosmonauts Regularly Infect International Space Station With Malware: Kaspersky

Security expert claims Russian astronauts have infected ISS systems with infected USB sticks.

 

Eugene Kaspersky is known as the poster boy for controversial statements and typical scaremongering that insurance and anti-virus companies, in this case, resort to for selling their wares. Speaking to National Press Club event in Canberra, Australia, the man behind Kaspersky security has revealed an interesting facet about malware in space. Apparently, Russian astronauts (cosmonauts) have been carrying USB sticks infected with malware and infecting computers on the International Space Station (ISS).

"The space guys from time-to-time are coming with USBs, which are infected. I'm not kidding. I was talking to Russian space guys and they said, 'yeah, from time-to-time there are viruses on the space station,'" said Kaspersky while addressing reporters in Australia.

Kaspersky didn't provide details about the nature of the infection or what damage it caused, but one can only imagine the massive risk entailed by the failure of computer systems that could be crucial in providing life support in hostile space environment. However, that isn't the case as the crucial SCADA control systems of the ISS are inherently Linux based. The problem was restricted to laptops which ran Windows XP.

Interestingly, United Space Alliance group moved all crucial systems of the ISS to Linux this May. So there might be some credibility to Kaspersky's claims. Prior to this move, “dozens of boards” aboard the ISS ran Windows XP, which is more vulnerable to malware as compared to Linux.

In fact, a 2008 ExtremeTech report cited a case where a Windows XP laptop carried to the ISS by a cosmonaut infected the space station with the W32.Gammima.AG worm. The malware in turn infected other XP-based laptops on the station. It seems, there's some credibility to Kaspersky's claim then. At any rate, it's terrible to contend with a malware problem on the ISS. Because in space, no one can hear you scream. In frustration, that is.

Thankfully on Earth, you can do more than scream by protecting not only your computers but also other interconnected devices with Kaspersky's all new Multi-device protection.


TAGS: Security, Kaspersky

 
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