New York: The Israel and Israel worked together to create one of the world’s most sophisticated virus, Flame, aimed at collecting crucial information about Iran’s nuclear systems and spy on Iranian officials, a report said.
The Washington Post reported, citing “Western officials with knowledge of the effort”, on Tuesday that the virus was a massive and sophisticated piece of malware designed to secretly map Iran’s computer networks while monitoring the computers of Iranian officials.
The joint effort, codenamed “Olympic Games” (which also reportedly bred the Stuxnet virus) involved the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and elements of Israel’s military.
Flame was designed to disguise itself as a commonplace Windows software update. Once infected, computers became sophisticated spying devices, sending data from hard drives, computer microphones, webcams and nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones back to the malware’s creator or creators, Mashable reported.
Flame was first detected by Kaspersky Lab, a Russian-based computer security firm, in May. Kaspersky’s analysts said it could have been several years old, and experts said its complexity indicated it could have only been produced by a government or military.
Earlier, the New York Times reported that the US and Israel were behind Stuxnet, which caused physical damage to an Iranian nuclear facility, but Israel denied being involved with Flame earlier this month.
After news of the Flame and Stuxnet viruses broke, some cyber security analysts in the U.S. say they are concerned the cyber-sabotage operations by the U.S. and Israel will invite retaliation by adversaries who will target computer infrastructure and public works systems in both countries.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription