Kaspersky Lab discovers massive cyber attack on Middle EastMay 29, 2012 - 17:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A massive cyber attack against Middle Eastern nations capable of sweeping up huge amounts of sensitive data has been discovered by security researchers who said it was most likely a state-sponsored spying attempt, Belfast Telegraph reported. Researchers at a Russian security firm which announced its findings on the so-called Flame software yesterday, May 28 said it was the most complex ever discovered and could have been in operation for as long as five years. More than 600 computers belonging to governments, businesses and individuals in Iran, Israel and Palestinian territories, as well as Sudan and Syria, were affected. It is not known where the attack originated but its discovery — just two years after security experts uncovered the Stuxnet virus, which attacked the Iranian nuclear infrastructure — raises fresh questions over alleged government use of malicious software to spy on foreign nations. Flame is the third ‘super cyberweapon’ to come to light after Stuxnet and the latter's data-stealing cousin, Duqu, which was found by Hungarian researchers last year. “If Flame went undiscovered for five years, the only conclusion is that there are other operations that we don't know about,” said Roel Schouwenberg, senior researcher with Kaspersky Lab, which made the discovery. Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab chief executive, claimed Flame was the latest phase in a cyber war between nations. “Such cyber weapons can easily be used against any country,” he said. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |