Malware

Cyber attackers target FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was the target of a cyber attack earlier this year that spread “a known virus” throughout the agency's “administrative computer system.”

The attack didn't cause any damage to agency systems, according to NextGov, which cited FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown. The virus spread through email, and once discovered, the FAA worked to “block and contain the virus and clean any affected computers,” Brown said.

The agency disclosed the attack though a release calling for proposals from contractors to help run a FAA cybersecurity center. The competition could be altered or delayed because of the infection, the release states.

News of the attack comes on the heels of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued this past month that determined the FAA lacked proper cybersecurity protocol.

The report said the FAA's “implementation of its security program was incomplete.”

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