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The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

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Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#11
post #9
post #2

I was kind of hoping they were replacing the floppy disks with CDs or something else equally old school and hard to hack.

As far as I know, we don't even know the length of time CDs will last because they haven't been around long enough. I would love someone to correct me if I'm wrong.

CD-R are maybe 10 years. Floppies are more reliable. I have plenty of C64 and Apple II floppies that work fine.

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#12

> While SACC’s hardware is decades old, its software is constantly refreshed by young Air Force programmers who learn software development skills at Offutt’s Rapid Agile Development Lab. I am not so sure I want “Rapid Agile” development for something that literally controls nuclear missiles.

Actually launching? YAGNI. We can easily implement that if it ever comes up.

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#13

> While SACC’s hardware is decades old, its software is constantly refreshed by young Air Force programmers who learn software development skills at Offutt’s Rapid Agile Development Lab. I am not so sure I want “Rapid Agile” development for something that literally controls nuclear missiles.

[deleted]

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#14

> While SACC’s hardware is decades old, its software is constantly refreshed by young Air Force programmers who learn software development skills at Offutt’s Rapid Agile Development Lab. I am not so sure I want “Rapid Agile” development for something that literally controls nuclear missiles.

Indeed. "Move fast and break things" might not be the best idea in this particular case.

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#15

> While SACC’s hardware is decades old, its software is constantly refreshed by young Air Force programmers who learn software development skills at Offutt’s Rapid Agile Development Lab. I am not so sure I want “Rapid Agile” development for something that literally controls nuclear missiles.

I don't see why Agile or other similar approaches can't handle reliability and safety as the primary goals. Things change often in most other software because that's what people demand of it.

No one will be changing the Nuclear launch systems often where never ending iteration is a threat.

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#16
post #2

I was kind of hoping they were replacing the floppy disks with CDs or something else equally old school and hard to hack.

Old school tech is ridiculously easy to hack. New tech is much more hardened. The only advantage old tech has is that it doesn’t have peripherals that connect to the internet. At the end of the day the most secure computer is a new one, that isn’t on the internet, and is physically secure.

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#17
post #11
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I know, we don't even know the length of time CDs will last because they haven't been around long enough. I would love someone to correct me if I'm wrong.

CD-R are maybe 10 years. Floppies are more reliable. I have plenty of C64 and Apple II floppies that work fine.

There are CD-R and DVD-R made for archival.

    MAM-A/Mitsui has tested their Gold reflective layer CD-Rs with their Mitsui dye, to withstand
    the full spectrum of light, same as the sun, for 100 continuous hours without damage.
    Using data from tests like these, industry standard guidelines predict that MAM Gold CD-R
    will last greater than 100 years! (In fact, if you extend the data, MAM-A predicts a lifetime of
    up to 300 years before failing at the Orange Book limit of 220 CPS)

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#18
post #11
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I know, we don't even know the length of time CDs will last because they haven't been around long enough. I would love someone to correct me if I'm wrong.

CD-R are maybe 10 years. Floppies are more reliable. I have plenty of C64 and Apple II floppies that work fine.

Pressed CDs should last much longer than CD-R.

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#19

> While SACC’s hardware is decades old, its software is constantly refreshed by young Air Force programmers who learn software development skills at Offutt’s Rapid Agile Development Lab. I am not so sure I want “Rapid Agile” development for something that literally controls nuclear missiles.

[deleted]

Re: The US nuclear forces’ messaging system finally got rid of its floppy disks

#20
post #11
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I know, we don't even know the length of time CDs will last because they haven't been around long enough. I would love someone to correct me if I'm wrong.

CD-R are maybe 10 years. Floppies are more reliable. I have plenty of C64 and Apple II floppies that work fine.

M-DISC claims a much, much longer lifespan for writable DVD/Bluray discs. Readable by normal drives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-DISC

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