Iran says Flame virus threatens its national security
- By Defense Systems Staff
- May 31, 2012
The data-mining virus Flame appears to have dug its way into the computers of top Iranian officials in what is likely the most formidable cyber intrusion into Iranian computer systems since the crippling Stuxnet virus attack two years ago, the New York Times reports.
Officials in charge of Iran's Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center posted a message to government officials on the center's website stating that the virus was dangerous, the story said. Flame has a "complexity and functionality" far exceeding other known cyber menaces, said Russian anti-virus software provider Kaspersky Lab, according to the story.
Although Israel never comments officially on matters of this nature, Israeli officials hinted at involvement. "Anyone who sees the Iranian threat as a significant threat — it’s reasonable that he will take various steps, including these, to harm it,” said Moshe Yaalon, Israeli vice prime minister and strategic affairs minister, according to the story.