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Subject: [ISN] Report: U.S., Israel Fingered In Latest Data-Annihilation Attack
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews ! org>
Date: 2012-12-24 10:23:03
Message-ID: alpine.DEB.2.02.1212240422520.29080 () infosecnews ! org
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http://www.darkreading.com/advanced-threats/167901091/security/attacks-breaches/240145251/report-u-s-israel-fingered-in-latest-data-annihilation-attack.html
By Kelly Jackson Higgins
Dark Reading
Dec 21, 2012
Remember that rudimentary data-wiping malware found on a few computers
in Iran this month? Most security experts pegged it as a simple,
unsophisticated copycat of more sophisticated data-destruction malware
attacks.
But in the latest twist, Industrial Safety and Security Source reported
this week that the malware was courtesy of a U.S.-Israel attack, citing
unnamed CIA sources who also say the attacks preceded the August Shamoon
attack that hit Saudi Aramco and Iran's oil ministry.
Security researchers are unconvinced, however, noting that malware
attribution—especially when it comes to espionage and sabotage—is
difficult. And Chester Wisniewski, a senior security adviser for Sophos
who has studied the so-called Batchwiper/GrooveMonitor attack, says it's
"highly unlikely" that a CIA official would confirm such an attack if it
were true.
The real problem is "attribution obfuscation," says Roel Schouwenberg,
senior researcher for global research and analysis at Kaspersky Lab.
"Following Shamoon, I stated we'd likely start seeing a trend where
supposed nation-state malware would become more simplistic. Only top
teams can develop top malware, such as Stuxnet and Flame. So it's quite
clear what type of entity is likely behind it. Simplistic attacks can
come from anyone," he says.
[...]
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