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June 21, 2007 2:44 PM PDT

Malware knocks Defense Department e-mail offline

by Robert Vamosi
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According to the Associated Press, the US Defense Department took 1,500 computers offline as the result of a cyber attack. No additional information about the event was provided. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the attack happened sometime yesterday and that e-mail systems were expected to be back online later today.

Gate said during a press conference on the matter: "We obviously have redundant systems in place. ... There will be some administrative disruptions and personal inconveniences." When asked if he, personally, had been inconvenienced, Gates replied that he's a very low tech person. "I don't do e-mail."

As CNET's resident security expert, Robert Vamosi has been interviewed on the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, and other outlets to share his knowledge about the latest online threats and to offer advice on personal and corporate security. Listen to his podcast at securitybites.cnet.com or e-mail Robert with your questions and comments.
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what OS
by Jesus#2 June 21, 2007 3:26 PM PDT
I wonder what operating system they were using...
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Not likely...
by ewelch June 21, 2007 3:32 PM PDT
Sun, or BSD or some other flavor of UNIX. If I remember correctly,
Homeland Security specifies Windows Server. But then we knew this
administration is very Windows-friendly and hostile to the
competition.

Go figure.
Reply to this comment
"I don't do email" is a lie.
by p.u.m.a. June 21, 2007 5:33 PM PDT
When the press was first informing the public about Robert Gates as a potential successor to Rumsfeld, one of the things that the White House touted of Gates was his interest in his students when he was President of Texas A&M. Many times over it was said that he would blog anonymously on the T A&M sports blog to get the students fired up. If you can blog buddy, you can e-mail.
Reply to this comment
p.u.m.a. doesn't get it.
by kakodes_too June 21, 2007 6:49 PM PDT
One of the indications of intelligence is the ability to recognize subtleties in language; e.g., subtle humor, double entendre, RIPOSTS ....
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