Wired’s Danger Room reports on Friday that a “computer virus has infected the cockpits of America’s Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots’ every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones.”

The virus, which hasn’t interrupted drone operations, was first detected two weeks ago on classified and non-classified drones at the main drone-piloting station, Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, although security specialists have no idea how far it has spread and can’t seem to eradicate it, Danger Room reports.

“We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back,” a source close to the matter told Danger Room, “We think it’s benign. But we just don’t know.”

The military also isn’t sure whether the attack was deliberately geared at the drones or whether it was a piece of malware that was introduced to other, civilian computers that insidiously, but unintentionally, made its way over to the military’s equipment, despite the Air Force’s claims to have a “comprehensive response to viruses, worms, and other malware we discover.” For now, the military isn’t “panicking,” according to Danger Room’s sources, but it is updating pilots daily on the matter.

Okay, what have we got? - This new computer virus is tricky. It’s infected half the civilian Internet as well as secondary military apps. - Payroll, inventory. - Primary defense nets are still clean? So far the firewalls are holding up. Sir, the Pentagon has proposed we use our Al to scan the infrastructure. Search and destroy for any hint of the virus. I know, Tony, but that’s like going after a fly with a bazooka. Once the connection’s made, it should only be a few minutes. During which we put everything under the control of one computer system. The most intelligent system ever conceived. I still prefer to keep humans in the loop. I’m not sure Skynet’s ready. (*duh-duh-dunt-da-duh-dunt!*)

(Source: hilker)