US soldiers pick up viruses from pirated porn

Sexually transmitted diseases are not a new phenomenon for soldiers stranded for months in foreign countries but one type of STD is definitely a recent development, and is becoming a virtual epidemic on US soldiers' laptops.

The Washington Post reports that pornographic DVDs being picked up by US soldiers in local souks (markets), often contain more than bargained for.

A virtual motherlode of viruses lurk on the pirated DVDs, which then spread like wildfire as soldiers pass them around to friends.

The so called "Porno-Virus" is proving hard to tackle, and it isn’t just American soldiers falling victim to the CTDs (Cyber transmitted diseases).

Army Reserve Capt. Michael Noonan, who advised an Iraqi army unit in 2006-07 told the Post that Iraqi soldiers were also porn mad and noted "my memory stick would be filthy with viruses every time I had to go and get documents from my counterpart or his section NCOs".

Just goes to show, a soldier has to be careful where he goes plugging his USB stick, because, whilst spreading democracy, who knows what else the army is spreading. µ

L'Inq Washington Post