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So if you were going to spend some $30 billion for a space station, it would seem the last thing you'd expect to find among all your expensive doodads and systems would be a computer virus whose purpose is stealing credential information from Asian online games.
The National Aeronatics and Space Administration (NASA) has now confirmed that a computer virus has entered the systems of the International Space Station, apparently carried aboard by one of the astronauts.
Spaceref.com indicated that the virus was one called W.32.Gammima.AG worm. This worm basically infiltrates gamers' computers to take personal login usernames and passwords for popular online games. NASA doesn't believe the virus to be dangerous to the station, calling it a 'Level 0" virus.
There is no official explanation why there is no virus protection on the ISS, other than some speculation that because there is no direct Internet connection to the station (they apparently get their video and data from a satellite link-up) it wasn't necessary.
Though files are checked before they are transferred to the station, it is suspected that someone carried the virus aboard on a personal thumb drive, most likely an American or Russian, according to news stories.
Intriguing is the admission by NASA spokesman Kelly Humphries that this isn't the first time such an event has occurred, though he didn't go into detail.