|
MOSCOW — Computer virus experts at Kaspersky Lab, acting with the blessing of the United Nations , were searching for a villain dubbed the Wiper when they cameacross a much more menacing suspect requiring a new moniker: Flame. The malicious program left experts all but certain that agovernment sponsor intent on cyber warfare and intelligencegathering was behind some suspicious activity, in part because ofthe likely cost of such a sophisticated endeavor. "We entered a dark room in search of something and came out withsomething else in our hands, something different, something hugeand sinister," Vitaly Kamlyuk, a senior antivirus expert atKaspersky Lab, said in an interview Wednesday. Kamlyuk said Flame can copy and steal data and audio files, turn ona computer microphone and record all the sounds in its vicinity,take screen shots, read documents and emails, and capture passwordsand logins. The program can communicate with other computers in its radius viathe infected computer's Bluetooth capability and locate theirwhereabouts even without an Internet connection, he said. "We haven't figured out yet whether it can carry out somedestructive actions but we can say with confidence that it is apowerful universal set of tools for cyber espionage," Kamlyuk said. "Many people still think that cyber warfare is a myth and a fantasybut as we reassemble and study one by one the numerous componentsand modules of this unique program we see that it is a real weaponof this undeclared war that is already going on." Experts worldwide have been surprised and impressed by theemergence of Flame, which Kaspersky Lab detected after being askedseveral weeks ago by the United Nations' InternationalTelecommunication Union to check reports of suspicious computeractivity. It is believed that a wide variety of computers belongingto individuals and state-related organizations were targeted in theMiddle East and North Africa, including Iran , Syria, Lebanon and Sudan. Kaspersky Lab has uncovered damage to at least 189 computers inIran, 98 in Israel and the Palestinian territories, 32 in Sudan, 30 in Syria, 18 inLebanon, 10 in Saudi Arabia and five in Egypt. Many more computers may have been infected byFlame, Kamlyuk said. Experts are still studying the software program and trying todetermine the point of entry. A previous worm-like malware known as Stuxnet targeted computers in Iran controlling centrifuges at nuclearfacilities and was believed to be an effort by Israel, the UnitedStates or both. "Stuxnet's goal was to identify infrastructural ties withindustrial systems of Iran and cause material damage," Kamlyuksaid. "The malware could reprogram the control of [uraniumenrichment] centrifuges, command the speed of the engine, keep itto the maximum without rest and eventually destroy the equipment." Kaspersky then found a way to oppose that threat and protect itsclients but stopped short of identifying the culprit. Analyzing Flame, which is considered a far more powerful weaponthan Stuxnet, may take many months, but Kaspersky experts havelittle doubt that it is a government-backed program carried out insecrecy. "Cyber weapons like Stuxnet and Flame can be potentially consideredserious threats to national security," Kamlyuk said. "Humankind hasentered a new era, the era of cyber war, but we don't want to paintscary scenarios and provide potential clues for current and futureperpetrators of such attacks." Despite the accomplishments of a private company such as KasperskyLab, some analysts in Russia said the country remains unprepared for cyber war. "It is a natural process that all these new breakthroughtechnologies immediately attract military and intelligenceagencies," Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy onGeopolitical Affairs, a Moscow-based think tank, said in aninterview. "And it would be rash and stupid to hope that those who still thinkof world supremacy will not try to take advantage of these newtechnologies, which can help them conquer the world without bombsand missiles." Russia does not have adequate industry, research centers,institutes or expertise to meet the challenges of modern cybertechnology, said Ivashov, a former chief of the Russian DefenseMinistry's international military cooperation directorate. Gennady Gudkov, deputy chairman of the security committee of theState Duma, the parliament's lower house, said the country'scomputer technology, largely dependent on foreign-made software andhardware, leaves it "extremely vulnerable and virtually defenselessin conditions of cyber warfare." sergei.loiko@latimes.com. I am an expert from ledfloodlightingfixtures.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Led Spot Lighting Fixtures Manufacturer , Ceiling Mount Lighting Fixtures Manufacturer, Led Corn Bulbs,and more.
Related Articles -
Led Spot Lighting Fixtures Manufacturer, Ceiling Mount Lighting Fixtures Manufacturer,
|
