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The control systems for the US Air Force’s Predator and Reaper drones at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada have been infected by a persistent computer virus, one that appears to resist being removed. The virus appears to be a simple keylogger virus — a program that records the keystrokes of the person using the infected computer — so it doesn’t interfere with the actual flight operations of the pilots, but multiple attempts to remove the infection have proved to be fruitless — and the origin of the invasive program also remains unknown.

"We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back," according to a source familiar with the situation. "We think it’s benign. But we just don’t know."
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As new technologies develop, so does the potential for the misuse of that technology, and accordingly, so does the need for law enforcement to find ways to counter that misuse. One such technology that is seeing more and more widespread use — and misuse — are remote-controlled drones, aerial devices that can be sent into sensitive areas, such as airports or public events that are subject to heightened security. But how do police combat machines that can effectively stay out of reach of their otherwise earth-bound personnel?
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These days, it appears that there are few things that Man can do, that a machine could not do as well, or even better. This apparently includes engaging in warfare.

Certainly, defense is an area where no expense is spared in developing the latest technology and improving performance, but sometimes constructing advanced weaponry can take a very long time. For example, the F-22 Raptor fighter jet was the most technologically advanced fighter ever created, designed back in 1983 to give the US military a tactical edge in the Cold War, but it took 22 years – and $39 billion – before it was delivered, 14 years after the fall of the Soviet Union.
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The future of "killer drones" is one in which, instead of being operated by remote control, the drones themselves make the decision to attack. If (and when) that happens, who will be held responsible–the machine or the military that launched it?

The First World War was launched with a single assassination. In the March 17th edition of the New York Times, Bill Keller quotes Stephen of Human Rights Watch as saying, "This is something people seem to feel at a very gut level is wrong. The ugh factor comes through really strong."
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