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Offline Crazy Horse

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Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« on: November 23, 2008, 08:43:56 AM »
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Pentagon bans computer flash drives
Friday November 21, 4:35 pm ET
By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Writer  
Computer virus prompts Pentagon to ban external computer flash drives

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon has banned, at least temporarily, the use of external computer flash drives because of a virus threat officials detected on Defense Department networks.
While defense officials would not publicly confirm the ban, messages were sent to department employees informing them of the new restrictions. As part of the ban, the Pentagon was collecting any of the small flash drives that were purchased or provided by the department to workers, according to one message distributed to employees.

Workers are being told there is no guarantee they will ever get the devices back and it is not clear how long the ban will last.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would provide no details on the virus Friday, but he described it as a "global virus" that has been the subject of public alerts.

Well this would really suck if true
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Offline djones520

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2008, 09:10:44 AM »
Doesn't affect me much at work, but I know back at my old base the guys there have got to be pissed by this.  Thumb drives where how we transferred a lot of data between networks...  this just tacked on a lot of extra work with having to burn cd's now.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2008, 09:44:39 AM »
Quote from: djones520 on November 23, 2008, 09:10:44 AM
Doesn't affect me much at work, but I know back at my old base the guys there have got to be pissed by this.  Thumb drives where how we transferred a lot of data between networks...  this just tacked on a lot of extra work with having to burn cd's now.
You can thank Bill & Co. for stupid autostart for this.  I try to turn it off for every device but sometimes Windows tries anyway.
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Offline Zeus

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2008, 12:26:54 PM »
What happened to scanning a storage devise for viruses prior to use ?  Problem may not be the storage devise but the user.
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Offline Thor

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2008, 02:02:58 PM »
User, network protection and some other things. Apparently, the worm that folks are so concerned about prefers detachable media and likes to hide in that stuff. I just caught a bug yesterday and my anti-virus didn't eliminate it right off. That's the problem... the virus programmers are usually one step ahead of the anti-virus folks.
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Offline jinxmchue

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2008, 02:26:00 PM »
Quote from: Zeus on November 23, 2008, 12:26:54 PM
What happened to scanning a storage devise for viruses prior to use ?  Problem may not be the storage devise but the user.

True, but it's easier to ban the devices than to change the stupidity of the people who use them.
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Offline Jim

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2008, 07:01:28 PM »
Quote from: BadCat on November 23, 2008, 04:41:04 PM
They have never been allowed in our areas.



They have no business being in use period.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2008, 07:05:56 PM »
Quote from: jinxmchue on November 23, 2008, 02:26:00 PM
True, but it's easier to ban the devices than to change the stupidity of the people who use them.
Then they should ban computers -- and network connections.
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Offline TheSarge

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2008, 08:16:28 PM »
Quote from: Crazy Horse on November 23, 2008, 08:43:56 AM
Well this would really suck if true

It's true.  They turned off all usb ports on our computers.  And I don't think they've fully realized what they've done.

Right now we are scrambling to find a work around for the Photo archive for the entire regiment that is currently located on an external 1TB drive.

Our digital cameras that keep the images on flash drives are useless because the drive readers won't work anymore
 

:thatsright:

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Offline TheSarge

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2008, 08:18:53 PM »
Quote from: Jim on November 23, 2008, 07:01:28 PM


They have no business being in use period.

Problem is...the military lives on those things.  This wasn't a very well thought out decision.
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2008, 08:23:08 PM »
Quote from: TxRadioguy on November 23, 2008, 08:16:28 PM
It's true.  They turned off all usb ports on our computers.  And I don't think they've fully realized what they've done.

Right now we are scrambling to find a work around for the Photo archive for the entire regiment that is currently located on an external 1TB drive.

Our digital cameras that keep the images on flash drives are useless because the drive readers won't work anymore
 

:thatsright:



You don't use USB mice and KBs???
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Offline Crazy Horse

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #11 on: November 23, 2008, 08:35:01 PM »
Quote from: Crazy Horse on November 23, 2008, 08:43:56 AM
While defense officials would not publicly confirm the ban,

Quote from: Crazy Horse on November 23, 2008, 08:43:56 AM
Well this would really suck if true

Quote from: TxRadioguy on November 23, 2008, 08:16:28 PM
It's true.  

Well having seen nothing official in the press anywhere...................and they used the non conformation of the ban I figured you would play along.  So again this will really suck for all of us using DoD computers if true on the ban.

free we use USB mice and KB's. Also we use CDR's and USB external HD's

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Offline Chris_

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2008, 08:40:08 PM »
Quote from: Crazy Horse on November 23, 2008, 08:35:01 PM
Well having seen nothing official in the press anywhere...................and they used the non conformation of the ban I figured you would play along.  So again this will really suck for all of us using DoD computers if true on the ban.

free we use USB mice and KB's. Also we use CDR's and USB external HD's



Disabling USB could put quite a hitch in your getalong
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Offline Crazy Horse

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2008, 08:58:17 PM »
Quote from: freedumb2003 on November 23, 2008, 08:40:08 PM
Disabling USB could put quite a hitch in your getalong

Not as bad if they would just disable the network computers.
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Offline djones520

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2008, 09:12:04 PM »
Quote from: Crazy Horse on November 23, 2008, 08:35:01 PM
Well having seen nothing official in the press anywhere...................and they used the non conformation of the ban I figured you would play along.  So again this will really suck for all of us using DoD computers if true on the ban.

free we use USB mice and KB's. Also we use CDR's and USB external HD's



It's not classified (or even considered sensitive) in any sense of the imagination.
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Offline TheSarge

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #15 on: November 23, 2008, 09:28:24 PM »
Quote from: freedumb2003 on November 23, 2008, 08:23:08 PM
You don't use USB mice and KBs???

we do...but those still work.

Everything is running so freaking slow right now because DoD is running so many behind the scenes scripts to prevent us from using external drives it's pitiful.

And they did it to us with no warning too.
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Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #16 on: November 24, 2008, 09:07:03 AM »
Just to clarify one point, they didn't disable the USB ports, they disabled the operating system's ability to recognize flash drives; I have heard they also disabled its ability to recognize other forms of rewritable, removable media but I don't work with any normally so I can't say whether there's anything to that, or the extent if so.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2008, 09:14:40 AM by DumbAss Tanker »
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Offline Ralph Wiggum

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #17 on: November 24, 2008, 12:10:34 PM »
Quote from: BadCat on November 24, 2008, 09:13:13 AM
Our USB ports are enabled, but the USB storage devices are not allowed in the SCIFs.
It's pretty much "honor system" that a person not bring them in, but if you like your paycheck, you won't even try.

Why would they not be allowed?  Sorry for such an elementary question, but I and my co-workers use them frequently.
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Offline Uhhuh35

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #18 on: November 24, 2008, 12:16:27 PM »
Quote from: Crazy Horse on November 23, 2008, 08:35:01 PM
Well having seen nothing official in the press anywhere...................and they used the non conformation of the ban I figured you would play along.  So again this will really suck for all of us using DoD computers if true on the ban.
It was in the Stars and Stripes on the 21st:
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58951
Quote
The Defense Department has banned the use of removable flash media and storage devices from all government computers, according to a series of notices put out by the services this week.
The action comes following reports that a worm virus known as "Agent.btz" was discovered infecting some DOD networks, according to Wired magazine.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2008, 12:19:46 PM by Uhhuh35 »
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Offline Crazy Horse

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Re: Pentagon bans computer flash drives
« Reply #19 on: November 24, 2008, 12:27:06 PM »
Quote from: Uhhuh35 on November 24, 2008, 12:16:27 PM
It was in the Stars and Stripes on the 21st:
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58951

Good deal..........and i agree with DJ about it not being important.  All the AP stories and such said DoD wouldn't confirm.

They have been going around here today and confiscating them.

It's already put me in a bind with some QA spreadsheets I have for contractors  :thatsright:
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