Security experts have discovered sophisticated Flame computer viruses, deployed in Iran and the Middle East at least five years ago in cyber espionage, according to Reuters news agency on May 29.
According to experts, the Flame virus can be a weapon
The strongest network ever released. (Photo: BBC)
Security company Kaspersky Labs in Russia has identified the Flame virus from August 2010, but said it could work from before. Experts describe Flame ' as one of the most complex threats ever discovered'.
Virus Flame does not cause damage to machines, but is capable of collecting a huge amount of sensitive information. Unlike the Stuxnet virus, there is only one specific task, the Flame virus is a set of tools.
' Once the system is infected with the virus, Flame begins his complex operations, such as checking network traffic, capturing screen shots when users open mail or chat messages, recording conversations and compressing them. to send to the owner, block the keyboard . '- Kaspersky's chief malware researcher Vitaly Kamluk said.
According to Mr. Kamluk, the expert team discovered 600 units were invaded by viruses, from individuals, businesses and academies to government agencies. The size of the Flame virus is 20MB, 20 times more than the Stuxnet virus.
The countries affected by the Flame virus include Iran, Israel, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Iran's emergency computer rescue team posted a security warning, saying that the Flame virus has caused 'mass data loss' recently in Iran.
Kamluk said that because of the size, sophistication and geographic location of the affected countries, experts believe that the Flame virus is not the product of independent cybercrime groups, but is capable of supported by a government. Moreover, 'Virus Flame is not designed to steal bank accounts. It also differs from simple intrusion tools or viruses used by hackers'.
However, the expert team refused to confirm the specific location of the Flame virus.
The study of Flame virus activity is coordinated by Kaspersky Labs with the United Nations International Telecommunications Union. The company is well known in the field of cyber weapons research after solving the mysteries surrounding Stuxnet and Duqu viruses.