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    US military says computer virus wasn't targeting drones

    US military says computer virus wasn't targeting drones

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    The U.S. Air Force says that the computer virus which struck their military drone systems about two weeks ago was not specifically targeted towards them, and is a common piece of malware used to steal credentials from online game players (not a keylogger as originally thought). The military says that no drones were threatened, and that they have quarantined the virus.

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    Reaper Drone
    Reaper Drone

    If you've been worried that some malevolent, genius hacker in a remote bunker (or basement) has been plotting to take over the US's fleet of Predator and Reaper drones, you can crawl out from under that kitchen table — the US Air Force said in an official statement that the computer virus detected in drone military systems is a credential stealer, not a keylogger, and was not specifically targeted toward them. As it turns out, the stand-alone Windows-based ground control systems for the drones — and not the drones themselves — were infected with common malware used to pickpocket log-ins and passwords from online gamers. The Air Force says the virus is more of a nuisance than a threat, and that it is not designed to transmit data or video, or corrupt data on the infected computer. If anything, we're most worried that ambitious gamers are trying to get a leg up by piloting the real deal.