To clarify, the malware was running on the system that the mechanics use to log incidents. The plane had had three recent incidents that would have grounded the plane had they been known, but they weren't. The reason they weren't was a combination of the mechanic's neglect and possibly that the system was crippled by malware.<p>Here is a better article (Spanish to English translation): <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/ordenador/Spanair/anotaba/fallos/aviones/tenia/virus/elpepiesp/20100820elpepinac_11/Tes&sl=es&tl=en&act=url" rel="nofollow">http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&h...</a>
Airliners.net has an interesting discussion about it by industry professionals <a href="http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4904992/" rel="nofollow">http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/re...</a><p>(and nutheads who like planes...)
I suppose that the author of this malware was prepared to accept imposing financial costs on their victims. After all, it's only money, right?<p>I wonder how they feel now that people have died as a result of their law-breaking.