DoD confirms computer virus in networks

[unhappycamper]

A nasty bug
Pentagon won’t say how networks caught it


DoD confirms computer virus in networks
By William H. McMichael and Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writers
Posted : Friday Nov 21, 2008 21:24:08 EST

The Defense Department confirmed Friday that a virus has infected some of its computer networks but declined to identify the infection, say whether it was a direct attack on the networks or confirm published directives that ban the use of portable storage media such as thumb drives.

“We are aware of a global virus for which there are some public alerts,” said Bryan Whitman, Pentagon spokesman. “And we’ve seen some of this on our networks. We’re taking steps to identify and mitigate the virus.”

Whitman wouldn’t characterize the infection further except to call it a “global issue” that also is affecting worldwide networks outside the Defense Department.

He also declined to confirm a ban on the use of thumb drives, although the ban was spelled out in at least two recent Air Force directives, one of which says the order comes from the Defense Department command that oversees the military computer domains shared by all the services.

Whitman also would not comment on whether officials think the infection may have been transmitted to the military’s networks by way of a thumb drive or other flash media.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/military_thumbdrives_computerworm_112108w/%2e