‘Most sophisticated cyber virus ever’ reaches West Bank

[Mosby]

A new, unprecedented computer virus called “Flame” has hit Iran, the West Bank, and other Middle Eastern locations. Deemed a cyber-espionage worm by the Internet-security company Kaspersky, Flame is designed to collect and delete sensitive information.

It is already considered one of the most sophisticated cyber weapons ever unleashed.

The virus is also said to have 20 times as much code as Stuxnet, which attacked an Iranian uranium enrichment facility (and some 16,000 computers), causing centrifuges to fail. Iran blamed Israel and the US for its creation.

Kaspersky said the Flame malware may have been lurking inside thousands of computers across the Middle East for up to five years. The creator of the virus is not yet known.

The countries that are reportedly affected by the virus also include Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/most-sophisticated-cyber-virus-ever-unleashed-is-found-across-middle-east/

[Mosby]

1. more info

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101629912

[ellisonz]

2. Better than a real war IMHO

[Mosby]

3. Virus gives Iran’s nuclear facilities a blast of AC/DC

(JTA) -- A virus reportedly caused a heavy metal song to play from computers at two of Iran's nuclear facilities.

According to the Times of Israel, computers at the Nantaz and Fordo facilities blasted the AC/DC song “Thunderstruck” at full volume in the middle of the night last weekend. An Iranian nuclear scientist reportedly complained to a cybersecurity expert via email that the song was playing from the computers. The virus also reportedly shut down part of the network.

The cybersecurity expert, Mikko Hypponen, the chief research officer at the Finnish security firm F-Secure, could not confirm the reports.

On Wednesday, the head of Iran’s Information Technology and Communications Organization, Ali Hakim Javadi, called for international condemnation of cyberattacks, the Times of Israel reported.

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/07/25/3101686/virus-played-heavy-metal-anthem-at-full-blast-from-irans-nuclear-facilities