The Iraqi Cyber Attack Virus Hoax That Wouldn't Die
from the ah,-what-good-is-fact-checking-any-more? dept
With all the hype about how the US might use “cyber-warfare” on Iraq, here’s an article talking about just how gullible people (and usually the press) are when it comes to computer attacks in warfare. In 1991, InfoWorld apparently ran an April Fool’s joke about how the US had snuck a virus into the Iraqi air defense computer system by putting the virus into a chip used in a printer that was sent to Iraq. The joke has taken on a life of its own and has been quoted as fact in numerous articles and books about the Gulf War. With all the stories hyping up “cyber warfare” in either direction, it pays to keep in mind that you shouldn’t believe everything you read… especially when it’s backed up by “anonymous” sources. What’s most amusing is that many of the people who fell for it, refuse to admit they were had. The fact is, everyone falls for a joke sooner or later, but refusing to admit it after you’ve been called on it is just pointless.
