4 Notable Accidents Involving Computer Security Malfunctions
August 2, 2008 by Antivirus Ware.com - Download Norton Antivirus software instantly!
History has a way of teaching us about things that can (and often do) go wrong in the world. Here are 4 mishaps that happened as a result of malfunctions in computer operating and security systems.
1983 – All 269 passengers aboard Korean Airlines Flight 007 died when the Boeing 747 inadvertently wandered 185 miles into Soviet airspace and was shot down by Soviet Su-15 jets. There was a malfunction in the 747’s navigation computer and caused the plane to wander off course.
1989 – A United States Air Force F-16 jet accidentally released a 230kg bomb over western Georgia. Evidently, electromagnetic interference cause the F-16’s computers to release the weapon while on a routine flight.
1994 – Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were destroyed by an F-15 jet in Iraq. The jet’s IFF system’s encryption malfunctioned as a result (once again) of electromagnetic interference.
1994 – Unidentified hackers made over 100 intrusions into the Rome Laboratory which is the US Air Force’s main command and research facility. Evidence shows that the hackers used an assortment of Trojan horse viruses to get into the system and obtain unrestricted access. They were also successful at removing all traces of their intrusion. They absconded with air tasking order systems data and other classified files.
Additionally, they were able to infiltrate the connected networks of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as well as some Defense contractors’ operating systems and other private sector organizations. Evidently, they were able to pose as a Rome Laboratory trusted user.
