Massive cyber attack uncovered in Middle East

A complex targeted virus has been discovered stealing data in the Middle East, security researchers have announced.

The malware — dubbed Flame — has been in operation since 2010, and appears to be state sponsored, Kaspersky Lab said, but it is not sure of its origins. Flame is designed to steal information about targeted systems and stored files, as well as computer display contents and audio conversations.

“The complexity and functionality of the newly discovered malicious program exceed those of all other cybermenaces known to date,” Kaspersky Lab said in statement announcing the malware’s discovery.

The virus is about 20 times the size of Stuxnet, and it targeted the controls of an Iranian nuclear facility. The largest concentration of infected machines is in Iran, followed by the Israel/Palestine region, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

“The preliminary findings of the research, conducted upon an urgent request from ITU, confirm the highly targeted nature of this malicious program,” Kasperky Lab’s chief expert Alexander Gostev said in a statement. “One of the most alarming facts is that the Flame cyber attack campaign is currently in its active phase, and its operator is consistently surveilling infected systems, collecting information and targeting new systems to accomplish its unknown goals.”

Eugene Kaspersky, the founder and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, compared the new virus with Stuxnet, and said it appears to open a new front in state-sponsored cyberwarfare. However, he said its full significance won’t be understood until more security researchers examine the malware.

“The Flame malware looks to be another phase in this war, and it’s important to understand that such cyberweapons can easily be used against any country,” Kaspersky said in a statement. “Unlike with conventional warfare, the more developed countries are actually the most vulnerable, in this case.”

Via CNET

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Premium WordPress Themes | Thanks to Themes Gallery, Bromoney and Wordpress Themes