Tomorrow is Today

After Multiple Windows Security Fails, US Navy Turns to Linux for Drones

First, Chinese Keyloggers PWN the USAF drone program, then Flame malware writes its own security certificates. Looks like it’s curtains for Windows in the US Military.

The U.S. military is not new to Linux, and has learned from past problems with less-reliable operating systems.

“While the US military has been a growing user of Linux, the contract might also have something to do with the swabbies learning from the mistakes made by the flyboys and girls in the US Air Force,” The Register wrote.

“After a malware attack on the Air Force’s Windows-based drone-control system last year, there has been a wholesale move to Linux for security reasons.” At the same time, the U.S. Department of Defense is also prepared for the Linux integration, and has put out guidelines on how its agencies can use open-source code.

“The US government can directly combine GPL and proprietary/classified software into a single program arbitrarily, as long as the result is never conveyed outside the U.S. government, but this approach should not be taken lightly,” the guidelines state. “When taking this approach, contractors hired to modify the software must not retain copyright or other rights to the result (else the software would be conveyed outside the US government.)”

(via U.S. Navy turns to Linux to run its drone fleet | Cutting Edge - CNET News)