It's more alarming to me that, apparently, critical infrastructure in a nuclear plant is running old versions of Windows.
German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
21–30 of 101 posts
Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#22It's more alarming to me that, apparently, critical infrastructure in a nuclear plant is running old versions of Windows.
> It's more alarming to me that, apparently, critical infrastructure in a nuclear plant is running old versions of Windows
Don't worry, the most important parts are running on DOS or OS/2, so we're saved from doom!
Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#23I found that part much more .. interesting: > As an example, Hypponen said he had recently spoken to a European aircraft maker that said it cleans the cockpits of its planes every week of malware designed for Android phones. The malware spread to the planes only because factory employees were charging their phones with the USB port in the cockpit.
The next sentence pretty much confirms my impression that this claim is almost certainly bullshit: > Because the plane runs a different operating system, nothing would befall it. But it would pass the virus on to other devices that plugged into the charger. That's just...not how computers work.
Bullshit, I've watched Independence Day. You can easily take down advanced alien warships with some objective-c.
Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#24Possibly important to note the timing of this admission right on the heels of the announcement of our defense minister that she wants to build a 'cyber' division in the army with 13500 people working there. Thats almost 10% of our armed forces. I could only find decent reporting about this in german: http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/plaene-der-verteidigungsm...
Yeah, totally agree. They also have aggressive print advertising everywhere (here in Munich) for this campaign. I wonder if they can attract any real talent though? Only people I know willingly wanted to work for the Bundeswehr eiter did not have the grades to study elsewhere or went to Afghanistan for the money.
They have pamphlets that pretty much say "hey, you could earn more money and have better working conditions from a real employer but that would be boring right?". So I guess not.
Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#25I found that part much more .. interesting: > As an example, Hypponen said he had recently spoken to a European aircraft maker that said it cleans the cockpits of its planes every week of malware designed for Android phones. The malware spread to the planes only because factory employees were charging their phones with the USB port in the cockpit.
What....? Seriously, wtf? Is it really that hard to provide outlets to charge your phone?
Or alternatively, how about WTF are you doing plugging your phone into this fucking cockpit? You're here to do your job and if you want to carry your phone around with you in the factory all day that's up to you, but plugging your phone into the fucking cockpit you're meant to be working on will result in demotions, suspensions and unemployment all round.
More politely put, I see no obligation on employers to provide employees with the means to recharge their personal phones :)
Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#26I found that part much more .. interesting: > As an example, Hypponen said he had recently spoken to a European aircraft maker that said it cleans the cockpits of its planes every week of malware designed for Android phones. The malware spread to the planes only because factory employees were charging their phones with the USB port in the cockpit.
It'll be EADS - I've experienced their infosec first hand. Heavy on process and inquisatorial panels - yet they do stuff like emailing parts lists and schematics over the Internet, no protection.
Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
nice catch. can't help but think of Independence Day when Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith infect alien mothership with a mac virus from a 3.5 floppy which specifically disabled its protective shield. "will give it a cold" Edit: corrected it's its
'it is protective shield?'. That's what you've written in effect. http://www.merriam-webster.com/video/its-vs-its
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Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the sentence "But it would pass the virus on to other devices that plugged into the charger." comes from the reporter, showing that he does not understand computers. It is plausible that malwares were copied without being executed.
A virus is something that copies itself. If something is copying a virus, it is infected. So the virus would have to infect both android and the cockpit to spread from phone to cockpit to phone.
Not at all, that's like saying floppy disk viruses happened because both PCs and floppy disks were vulnerable. Just imagine the cockpit to be a floppy disk. You plug your phone in, and your infected phone puts a file in the cockpit. Then someone with a vulnerable phone plugs into the cockpit, reads the file and is infected.
Not saying that's how it happened, just that it's possible.
Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#29I found that part much more .. interesting: > As an example, Hypponen said he had recently spoken to a European aircraft maker that said it cleans the cockpits of its planes every week of malware designed for Android phones. The malware spread to the planes only because factory employees were charging their phones with the USB port in the cockpit.
What....? Seriously, wtf? Is it really that hard to provide outlets to charge your phone?
Following the what, 11 different plug standards commonly in use for power internationally? Or provide a USB port that every phone in the world can use, and is smaller and more efficient to boot. I know which I'd pick.
Re: German nuclear plant infected with computer viruses, operator says
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
What....? Seriously, wtf? Is it really that hard to provide outlets to charge your phone?
Or alternatively, how about WTF are you doing plugging your phone into this fucking cockpit? You're here to do your job and if you want to carry your phone around with you in the factory all day that's up to you, but plugging your phone into the fucking cockpit you're meant to be working on will result in demotions, suspensions and unemployment all round. More politely put, I see no obligation on employers to provide…
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