The International Space Station (ISS) has computers infected by worms, a kind of computer virus. Some reports say that the worm in question is the W32.Gammima.AG worm, which is attempting to steal virtual currency from online games, first discovered in August, 2007. The infected laptop computers have been brought there by astronauts, but it is unclear by whom. A spokesperson at NASA also tells us that this has happened before, but since there is no Internet link on the space station, other than e-mail communication by satellite link and the computers in question are only used for e-mailing and some non important softwares, there is nothing to worry about.
I think it’s pretty remarkable though that someone can bring infected computers onboard a space station, one better hope the life supporting systems are completely isolated from everything else. I would find it rather unsettling to find a virus, even on a non-important stand-alone laptop, when I was in space surrounded by vaccuum and radiation, and totally trusting my life to computers.
