The Russians Are Watching

And so are the Chinese, the Iranians, the North Koreans, and very likely the eeevil Canadians (just joking about the Canadians).

A few days ago the ARRL posted a news item about how Army MARS will require their operators to use computers that are completely disconnected from the internet while running the Data Modem Terminal software during MARS operations. This comment is telling:

"Despite a stand-alone environment, we assume that all computer systems in private citizens' hands are infected with hostile software code of some sort and are not secured," he said. "No amount of virus and malware scanning software changes that assumption. We can, however, isolate computers by disconnecting them from the intentional network in which hostile software will report and receive instruction."

We are in an era where real-time monitoring of your digital radio communications activity is not just possible, but probable given the software you are using and the activity you are supporting.

Think it can't happen to you? Did you ever wonder why the Geek Squad at Best Buy was all but giving Kaspersky anti-virus software away?

We're watching, Comrade!

 W8BYH out