Creech AFB, Nev., a major hub of Air Force remotely piloted aircraft operations, reportedly is dealing with a vexing computer virus. The uninvited guest has worked its way into the ground stations that airmen use there to control MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers that operate over places like Afghanistan and Iraq, according to an entry at Wired magazine’s Danger Room blog. So far, the virus has been logging the RPA operators’ keystrokes, but there’s been no confirmed incidents of an outside source gleaning classified information, states the entry. Still, the malware is proving difficult to remove. Air Combat Command, which oversees the RPA fleet, declined to elaborate on this issue. “At this time, we have nothing to add,” Air Combat Command spokesman Scott Knuteson told the Daily Report Wednesday. He explained: “We generally do not discuss specific vulnerabilities, threats, or responses to our computer networks, since that helps people looking to exploit or attack our systems to refine their approach. We invest a lot in protecting and monitoring our systems to counter threats and ensure security, which includes a comprehensive response to viruses, worms, and other malware we discover.”
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
