The station that controls Scilly’s coastguard service has been hit by a computer virus. The Sassar worm has attacked all 19 stations in the country and staff have had to resort to using more traditional methods.
But a spokeswoman for the agency said that search and rescue operations wouldn’t be affected.
Peter Dymond, Head of Search and Rescue at the Agency said:
‘Radio and other forms of communication from ships at sea remain unaffected and despite the problems that this bug has given us this morning and the way that it might hinder our access of information, we remain confident that by telephone and other forms of communication we can ensure that no rescue or incident will be affected. Our IT department are working hard to bring the rest of the Agency ? and Coastguard Stations - back on line during the rest of the day.?
The worm is thought to have affected millions of Windows PC users since it was first discovered last week. It is spread on the internet. The worm is unusual because it does not need to be spread through email attachments.