The Navy's £3bn new aircraft carrier is
running 16-year-old Windows XP - and could be for another 3 years
The Ministry of Defence indicated the vessel
was running the discontinued operating system, which Microsoft stopped
supporting in 2014
BYMIKEY SMITH
18:00, 27 JUN 2017UPDATED18:09, 27 JUN 2017
Computers on the Royal Navy’s £3.1 billion new aircraft
carrier is still running 16-year-old operating system Windows XP - and will for
up to three years, the Ministry of Defence indicated today.
Reports that computers aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, were
running the ageing software emerged in the Times this morning, after reporters
spotted them during a tour last week.
And today, the MoD suggested it could still be running
the operating system throughout its three-year shakedown.
Microsoft stopped officially providing security updates
and bug fixes for the operating system three years ago.
But a spokesperson insisted the onboard computers would
not be affected by the ransomware attack sweeping the globe last night, because
they are not connected to the internet.
In 2015, while the vessel was still being built, pictures
emerged which appeared to show a technician computer running Windows XP.
At the time, the MoD told tech website The Register: “The
MoD can confirm that Windows XP will not be used by any onboard system when the
ship becomes operational.”
Asked to clarify what that meant today, a Navy
spokesperson said: “We are following a programme towards delivering a carrier
Strike capability –ie. operational - for the UK from 2020.”
And asked this morning if the vessel was running XP, Tory
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon appeared to confirm it.
He said: "It’s not the system itself that’s
vulnerable, of course, it’s the security that surrounds it. I want to reassure
you about Queen Elizabeth. The security around its computer system is properly
protected and we don’t have any vulnerability on that particular score."
When Microsoft discontinued support for Windows XP in
2014, the UK Government paid them £5.5 million to provide updates for another
year, to give them time to migrate away from the software.
An ‘emergency’ patch was released by the tech giant last
month in order to fix the exploit used by the WannaCry ransomware infection
which hit the NHS and thousands of businesses worldwide.
When it finally goes on active service in 2020, HMS Queen
Elizabeth is expected to run a system called Shared Infrastructure, developed
by the MoD with BAE Systems.
The new computers will allow the ship’s crew access to
navigation, communications, sonar and other vital systems through a single
console.
An MOD spokesperson said: “While we don’t comment on the
specific systems used by our ships and submarines, we have absolute confidence
in the security we have in place to keep the Royal Navy’s largest and most
powerful ship safe and secure.
“We take cyber security extremely seriously and the UK
has doubled its cyber investment to £1.9 billion.”
Source: mirror.co.uk
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