Massive “state-sponsored” malware attack

A large scale, highly complex cyber-attack designed to steal private data has been discovered. The Flame malware is much more complex than most similar programs and includes features such as connecting to any nearby BlueTooth devices to extract data from them. It can also detect “interesting” software and automatically take screenshots of the user’s activities. The malware is spread via a network or through infected disks or USB flash drives.

Flame is designed to stay hidden for a long time – anti-malware researchers Kaspersky Labs believe it has been infecting machines since August 2010.

The complexity and data-stealing features of Flame lead researchers to believe it was created by a state-sponsored group rather than individual hackers. Countries hit by the malware include Iran, Israel, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt.

Source: BBC News article