RSSMicrosoft virus downs French jets
Feb 09
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French fighter jets were ground bound after military computers were attacked by a Microsoft virus, says Agence France-Presse.
They couldn’t download flight plans because their databases were infected by the virus, which they’d been warned about several months ago.
“At one point French naval staff were also instructed not to even open their computers,” says AFP, going on:
Microsoft had warned that the “Conficker” virus, transmitted through Windows, was attacking computer systems in October last year, but according to reports the French military ignored the warning and failed to install the necessary security measures.
The French newspaper Ouest France said the virus had hit the internal computer network at the French Navy.
Jérome Erulin, French navy spokesman told the paper: “It affected exchanges of information but no information was lost. It was a security problem we had already simulated. We cut the communication links that could have transmitted the virus and 99 per cent of the network is safe.”
The French navy admitted it had to return to telephone, fax and post, says AFP, adding:
“Naval officials said the ‘infection’ was probably due more to negligence than a deliberate attempt to compromise French national security. It said it suspected someone at the navy had used an infected USB key.”
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Microsoft virus downs French jets
