Iran Facing 'Stuxnet On Steroids' Attack

A sophisticated cyber weapon has infected industrial control systems of hundreds of European and U.S. energy companies over the last 18 months, Sam Jones of The Financial Times reports.

WASHINGTON — Sophisticated spyware believed linked to Israel infected computers at luxury hotels used as venues for nuclear negotiations with Iran, a Russian cybersecurity firm said Wednesday, but the extent of any possible data breach was not immediately known.

A hacking spyware, redolent of the famous Stuxnet worm from 2010 yet all the more sophisticated, has been discovered in the systems of industrial corporations in Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The computers in three luxury hotels that hosted high-stakes negotiations on Iran's nuclear program were infected with an improved version of one of the world's most powerful computer viruses, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Since 2001, a group of hackers - dubbed the "Equation Group" by researchers from Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab - have infected computers in at least 42 countries (with Iran, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Syria most infected) with what Ars Technica calls "superhuman technical feats" indicating "extraordinary skill and unlimited resources."

It was as if a Hollywood movie was playing out in Estonia in 2007. The country faced a massive attack. Suddenly, the vital infrastructure came crashing down. Without a sign of the enemy. No bombs exploded. No one invaded the country. From newspaper websites to banks to power system, everything collapsed. The massive cyber attack created chaos all around for several days. A decade later, cyber criminals are far more powerful and secretive but not all critical infrastructure is strong enough to resist a cyber attack.

The cyber security firm Symantec on Sunday revealed that a malicious new piece of software is collecting information on individuals, companies, and government entities without their knowledge. The malware, called Regin, is considered to be a mass surveillance and data collection tool (sometimes referred to as “spyware”). Its purpose and origin is still unclear, Symantec said, but researchers believe that the program is the work of a nation-state.

The cyber security firm Symantec on Sunday revealed that a malicious new piece of software is collecting information on individuals, companies, and government entities without their knowledge. The malware, called Regin, is considered to be a mass surveillance and data collection tool (sometimes referred to as “spyware”). Its purpose and origin is still unclear, Symantec said, but researchers believe that the program is the work of a nation-state.