Aggressive ‘Snake’ Virus Infects Ukraine’s PC-Networks: BAE Systems
BAE Systems of Britain just released a Whitepaper reporting a new powerful cyber-weapon, which has been dubbed 'Snake, as it contaminated many PC-networks across Ukraine in which government systems were also included when a highly sophisticated assault struck this year (2014).
Security researchers state that Snake virus that's undergoing evolution starting 2005 can be compared with Stuxnet so far as complexity is concerned. The Stuxnet reportedly damaged the uranium enrichment scheme of Iran during 2010. With Snake, attackers far off can gain complete access to computers it hijacks.
According to BAE, Snake has the capability of remaining dormant for several days; consequently, it's very difficult to detect. Albeit it cannot be said for sure as to where the virus comes from, it seemingly works within a time-zone identical as Moscow's, while certain text in Russian language too has been found inside the virus' code.
The Snake's controllers had been greatly employing the virus from 2014 beginning, even prior to remonstrations which compelled Viktor Yanukovych the Ukrainian President to step down, BAE stated.
In Ukraine, Snake infection occurred 14 times, as per BAE, from 2014 beginning against 8 during 2013. Since 2010, 32 Snake infections have been recorded from a total of 56 globally. Other than Ukraine, there have been 9 instances of Snake infection within Lithuania, 4 within UK, 2 within USA, while 1 within Romania.
However, according to Managing Director David Garfield of BAE's Cyber Security Cell, the reported cases of Snake infection were possibly only too little given its wide pervasiveness. Foxnews.com published this, March 9, 2014.
Further as per Garfield, Snake being so complex, there possibly was no rouge hacker behind it, stating that its creator was certainly extremely professional.
Head of Operations and Intelligence till 2006, Nigel Inkster at the M16 Foreign Intelligence Agency of Britain candidly stated that Russia was quite possibly responsible for the online assaults against Ukraine. Until of late, there had been fewer attacks by the Russians, however, he was absolutely sure they could carry out an entire range of cyber-assaults as varied as DOS conditions to those utterly advanced, Inkster added. Aljazeera.com reported this, March 8, 2014.
» SPAMfighter News - 3/18/2014
