Ah, ISS, looks like you've got a virus.

I have a confession to make. Back in 1995, I got a virus.

I was running Norton Utilities on my computer, and it kindly warned me that I was infected. Gasp! I didn't even know I had been practicing promiscuous computing, but I could deny it no longer. Norton Utilities was also kind enough to inform me that this program was unable to remove the virus; however, I could simply purchase Norton Anti-Virus, which would indeed remove said virus.

What could I do, go on computing while infected, or rid myself of this defilement? I couldn't stand the thought of living in the virtual "Red-Light District" of the digital world, so I plunked down another $20.00 and bought Norton Anti-Virus.

That's when I learned that viruses could spread through contaminated media, and I wasn't even an astronaut, or cosmonaut, whatever they're calling themselves these days.

International Space Station Infected With USB Stick Malware Carried on Board by Russian Astronauts

Russian security expert Eugene...Kaspersky revealed that Russian astronauts carried a removable device into space which infected systems on the space station. He did not elaborate on the impact of the infection on operations of the International Space Station (ISS).

Source | Archive

Maybe I'm naive, but don't you think an agency like Roscosmos would have trained their cosmonauts to be careful about not infecting the International Space Station with a computer virus?

Of course it's not all their fault, they were using an insecure operating system.

Windows XP

..."dozens of laptops" used on board the space station had been using Windows XP, which is inherently more vulnerable to infection from malware than Linux.

According to Kaspersky the infections occurred on laptops used by scientists who used Windows as their main platform and carried USB sticks into space when visiting the ISS.

The ISS's control systems (known generally as SCADA systems) were already running various flavours of Linux prior to this switch for laptops last May.

According to a report on ExtremeTech, as far back as 2008 a Windows XP laptop was brought onto the ISS by a Russian astronaut infected with the W32.Gammima.AG worm, which quickly spread to other laptops on the station - all of which were running Windows XP. ​

Source | Archive

Oh, so it was these gallivanting scientist that were spreading the virus. I mean you got guys (and gals) from all over the world popping in here, using ISS internet cafe, and then being on their merry way without a care, and only God knows where those laptops have been. It's just like using the computer lab at your local library.

If you ask me, it all sounds completely ridiculous, but what do I know?  I'm not a virus (I mean, antivirus) expert like Kaspersky. He's been in the business for years.