Report: Virus Hits U.S. Drone Fleet

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We're getting some disturbing new reports coming in about as stubborn computer virus that's hitting the nation's -- fleet now according to WIRED Magazine this virus.

Is logging pilots -- strokes as they remotely flight missions over Afghanistan and other war zones and so far.

Security specialists say the virus is receipts resisting all efforts to get rid of -- wipe it out.

Joining me now is former CIA and Department of Homeland Security official co-founder and managing principal of the Chertoff group -- -- we.

Chad always good to see you look if it's -- -- keystrokes of the pilots in these -- systems does that mean that the hackers can actually.

Gain or or steal.

Intel and surveillance information collected by these drones.

If it does not indicate that they could -- surveillance information if it does indicate that they can obtain information on how this those in the system operate.

And as you can imagine that's extremely concerning.

But let's keep in mind the following number one and these systems are extremely secure they're among the highest -- in the world to.

When you look at this particular incident it we have seen that audits have been done no information was actually -- traded.

From these systems so it is something that we're looking very closely and as you said the virus is proving to be somewhat resistant.

-- -- -- Ice and somebody had to put the virus in there I referred a moment ago hackers correct me if I'm wrong about that but.

If these systems are so secure of the predator and a drone or the reaper drones.

And how was this done.

It's great Clinton.

It again I have no specific information that such a breaches occurred that if it did here's what I would say is number one.

That it's possible that it was espionage but more like -- -- roads and -- -- grass that this could have occurred in first is.

These are complex systems they integrate multiple layers of middleware software from outside of the government.

And as a result it's possible that somehow a Trojan horse got through that way the second option is through his call air gaps where.

Even though the system -- closed that someone took a fund drive and actually gaps between the network and the physical outside world so.

It does highlight the need for that -- -- reevaluate its policies towards particularly the latter scenario which is most likely to -- -- -- right what's the military doing to protect the information gathered by drones.

-- what they're gonna do is again.

Crackdown on the use of thumb drives a which candidly is a little surprising that they were letting this happen it's -- how we got burned in WikiLeaks it's how we got burned.

Back in in 2009.

But I will say that why the men and -- -- result resorting to this -- -- sneaker net taking physical drives in this walking them over different networks is because they don't have enough infrastructure right now bandwidth.

And they've got to get the resources so we need to find our men and women in the military -- And in this time of budget cutting I would just suggest that the congress be very careful on specifically maintaining.

Cyber security funding for our men and women.

They're very quickly does this underscored your mind that yes we are still the United States is still vulnerable to cyber terror and -- -- top.

Absolutely we we have some of the most secure networks and as we seeing whether it's.

In Lockheed Martin or the United States Department of Defense.

These cyber threats continued to threaten.

It's and it also is a threat for our private sector infrastructure provider so.

As as outset -- -- sector Dolan said we've got to make sure that in the time of budget cuts that we don't be a penny wise and pound foolish.

Well said Chad suite of -- off group -- thanks very much because I Syrian I think a lot about.

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Report: Virus Hits U.S. Drone Fleet

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