The "Nukes and Floppy Disks" article was quoted, repeated, in -- wow -- all the major U.S. and UK newspapers. It was a news alert on CNN, CBS-TV, ABC-TV, FOX TV, and BBC. I heard well-known anchors, columnists, and reporters express grave concern.
Apparently, old IBM computers that use 8-inch floppy disks, are currently being used to coordinate key strategic forces such as nuclear bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Pentagon confirms this. The U.S Government Accountability Office confirms this. They are also saying that those IBM computers which were manufactured in the early seventies will continue to be used until the end of 2017.
Why? Because updating government computers, memory banks, data, history, files, reports will be a massive job -- aside from installing new equipment and renovating thousands of offices, everything that the government is using now will need to be replaced and re-located as well as re-checked, and updated.
Summing up the decision not to change what's working now, the US Government says "Using old systems disconnected from digital networks is a buffer against hackers. Low tech is safer tech."
My reaction to this news is
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5 comments:
I've been involved in a big computer job for the government and I know how difficult and complex they can be.
I agree - low tech is safer. Where would identity theft, power grid disruptions, credit card fraud, etc. be without our high-tech solutions to everything?
I wish our government could buffer all the noise made by politicians.
Yep Yep = Even our nuclear power plants nationwide are all using the same old technology = Kind of creepy for sure
Human beings are always in a competitive mode and nothing can stop them , nukes or no nukes life must move on . At times challenges may arise but solutions will always be sought.
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