Computer Virus Aboard the ISS

chrb writes "BBC News is reporting that laptops taken to the International Space Station by NASA astronauts are infected with the Gammima.AG worm. The laptops have no net connection; officials suspect the worm may have been transferred via a USB flash drive owned by an astronaut. NASA have said this isn't the first time computer viruses had travelled into space."

Even In Space

[Skeetskeetskeet]

Microsoft can't hear you scream.

I'd be willing to wager

[RisingSon]

that Captain Kirk picked up something nasty from those green bitches. Damn space viruses.

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[totally_mad]

You don't really understand. There is nothing they could have done to prevent the worm. The astronaut was installing Outlook which asked them to "close all software like antivirus and firewall which may interfere with the installation". The rest is history...

Re:One has to ask

[Gori]

My thoughts exactly. There is no reboot after you hit the Blue Planet Of Death...

*ducks*

Jeff Goldblum planned it that way

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what the laptop virus is there for - you can't be too careful.

Geez...

[VE3OGG]

Network security really isn't that hard! It isn't like it's rocket scie... oh... nevermind...

Re:One has to ask

[halfEvilTech]

What *Windows* is doing in space in the first place.

because it is already considered a large waste of 'space'

Re:No antivirus?

[BabyDave]

>p>To be fair, it's because they know the real reason that the Mir space station came down ...

"Norton Antivirus has detected that the following file is infected with a virus:

gyrocontrol.dll

The infected file has been deleted

This sounds like a great movie plot...

[Steeltalon]

Will there be an Andromeda Strain of this Virus?

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[ByOhTek]

So much for extrans.

I _FAIL_

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[El_Muerte_TDS]

Honestly though, Why the hell dont the laptops have Minix?

Because Minix doesn't support text formatting.

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[Thelasko]

Honestly though, Why the hell dont the laptops have anti virus software? if they are going to run a OS that is targeted by the bulk of viruses out there then it's dumb to send it up without AV software installed.

It looks like Mark Shuttleworth [wikipedia.org] might have to make another trip up there to drop off some Ubuntu disks.

No internet??

[Apoorv Khatreja]

Q. Where do these NASA guys get their pr0n from?

A. Oh yeah.. the USB drive.

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

More importantly, it has no applications.

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[muffen]

That they need IT staff on the ISS.

Even astronauts are not smart enough to maintain and repair their computers.

Honestly though, Why the hell dont the laptops have anti virus software? if they are going to run a OS that is targeted by the bulk of viruses out there then it's dumb to send it up without AV software installed.

There is no reason for a email/nutritional PC to not run AV.

AV on astronaut laptops, are you crazy?
What we need to do is send this virus to aliens!

Didn't you learn _anything_ from Independece Day?

Re:One has to ask

[mlush]

What *Windows* is doing in space in the first place.

I've always thought that opening Windows on a space ship is a bad thing

If i know my star trek...

[Trent Hawkins]

The virus is actually an alien computer system attempting to interface with the station's computer systems.
Kirk: Spock __ Can __ you translate __ their message? Spock: Yes Captain. The message is, "Do you wish to enlarge your penis?" Kirk: Make it so...

worm in space

[Errtu76]

equals wormhole! Ha! Ha! Ha.. oh never mind.

Re:Space Virus

[Zoxed]

> I wonder what virus was actually the first to make it to space.

Agent Smith would say Yuri Gagarin.

Re:Computer Virus .. ?

[value_added]

Come on slashdot, don't be twee, what Operating System does this 'computer virus' need to run on .. Systems Affected: Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP ...

You're being difficult. Anyone can see this is a cross-platform virus.

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[rsmoody]

Send the Geek Squad...I volunteer. (yes I work at Best Buy..hey, the discount rocks!)

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

more s/w = more bits

more bits = more weight

more weight = more $$ to launch

thus they decided to make the install as lean as possible. i heard linux installs all this crazy unnecessary stuff for you.

Re:One has to ask

[Anonymous Coward]

I've always thought that opening Windows on a space ship is a bad thing

Yes, the results would prove conclusively that Windows quite literally suck(s).

Obligatory XKCD Reference...

[Temujin_12]

http://www.xkcd.com/463/ [xkcd.com]

Overheard on ISS

[mikebelrose]

That's one small step for a virus, one giant leap for viruskind.

Re:Dave?

[Tablizer]

"Dave, send 40 grand to the prince in Nigeria if you want me to open the pod doors, Dave."

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[MrNaz]

The reason NASA didn't bother with AV is because there's no pressure on their IT department. In a normal office, the IT department usually gets screamed at when computers don't work. But in space, nobody can hear you scream.

Oh great...

[Anonymous Coward]

...the ship's got space herpes.

Re:Solid proof!!!!

[nospam007]

It was a pirated copy of some stuff that installed the virus.

At least we now may have real 'Space Pirates'.

bragging rights

[v1]

will definitely go to the first bot herder that manages to get a node on the ISS.

Re:I'd be willing to wager

[BPPG]

Damn borg chicks.