US nuclear force 'still uses floppy disks'

[Moltuae]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36385839

The report said that the Department of Defence systems that co-ordinated intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear bombers and tanker support aircraft "runs on an IBM Series-1 Computer - a 1970s computing system - and uses eight-inch floppy disks".

Potentially EOL in a literal sense.

This system remains in use because, in short, it still works

How many times have we all heard that before!


journalistic sensationalism aside, the reality of course is that these systems are probably physically highly secure with no internet access (I hope).

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

Nut uh lol no way, i mean they may have a computer with an 8 inch floppy drive but to actually store important information on the floppies would be insane.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

So the media will force people to frown upon this, and have the gov't do an upgrade to newer Windows systems that will be full of bugs and glitches.
Instead of the old assembly language system that works!

The story gets hyped up. Some systems that control hardware are old..but...they do all they need it to do. Some control systems don't need fancy high res 3D graphics and GUI OS's.

And it's not like they're keeping top secret info on 8" floppy disks and transporting them around. These are basic config files on systems that are deep in physically secured areas.

 

[mraikes]

...snipped...

And it's not like they're keeping top secret info on 8" floppy disks and transporting them around. These are basic config files on systems that are deep in physically secured areas.

I don't know, that might be the most secure way to transport secrets nowadays!

 

[fencepost]

Honestly I don't think I have any real complaints about this.

The systems are non-networked (good!), not vulnerable even to stupid user tricks like "I wonder what's on this USB drive I found in the parking lot," stable, simple, and understood. They aren't general-purpose computers, it doesn't matter if you can run a word processor on it except that if you could it would mean Very Bad Things.

My biggest concern would be if they're able to keep a supply of spare parts around, and if they've done anything to be able to virtualize the systems onto different hardware in case of escalating hardware problems.

 

[CompConfig]

The systems are going to be upgraded over the next year. They actually have the nuclear launch codes stored on the floppy disks. There is no internet because they are worried about being hacked. They are spending over 100 million a year just to keep the equipment running. Some machines are 50 years old.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I should apply for a job there.....they're probably looking for old timers with the experience to support this old stuff!


//dusts off old autoexec.bat and config.sys skillzzzzzzzz
and 10Base2 network stuffors!

 

[JoeTech]

At least they can't get accidentally upgraded to windows 10 and all our launch codes uploaded to one drive. lol.

 

[Markverhyden]

These stories pop up every now and then over the years. We will never know how they implement these solutions. A lot of these systems are 8 bit or 16 bit with real serial, parallel, and SCSI buses. Upgrading/replacing is not trivial.

 

[oldtech]

Probably more secure than any other method of data transport. When is the last time you physically saw an 8" floppy drive? (Cue the sexual innuendo and middle school locker room humor)

 

[CompConfig]

Now the real challenge begins. They have committed to upgrading all of the old systems now using the best technology available. I just keep thinking of the bugs they will encounter when implanting something on such a massive scale. I wish us all luck

 

[fencepost]

They have committed to upgrading all of the old systems now using the best technology available.

As long as they have an appropriate definition of "best" that's fine, but I have my concerns about that.

Honestly if I were in charge of something like this, I'd be looking at things like Minix or possibly the *BSDs. The design needs to be something that it's possible to maintain internally, but it doesn't need a lot of features and in fact an absence of features is in some ways a feature of its own. Something like QNX might also be an option, but I'd be leery of it because it's closed-source, privately owned (want support in 30 years?), etc.

 

[Altster]

I should apply for a job there.....they're probably looking for old timers with the experience to support this old stuff!


//dusts off old autoexec.bat and config.sys skillzzzzzzzz
and 10Base2 network stuffors!

Token Ring.... Remember, these units are NOT networked nor do they want them to be.

 

[Krynn72]

*A Special Agent bursts into the Oval Office*

"Mr President sir! Why did you authorize a nuclear strike on California?!"

"What do you mean?! I didn't authorize any strikes at all!*

*They both look over to the authorization console*

DAMN YOU MICROSOFT!

 

[Dave Gearing]

Posted this on Facebook and a chum said "Maybe it's Battlestar Galactica type security? So old no one can hack it?"

 

[netgeek]

What a load of crap