Mask Virus Exposed Following Cyber-Espionage since Seven Years

According to Kaspersky, security researchers have uncovered one computer virus namely Mask that for the last 7 years had been used for cyber-espionage against prominent entities online such as private equity organizations, activist groups, oil/gas firms as well as government databases.

The security company said that Mask attacked entities across 31 nations while infecting over 380 businesses as also organizations.

The malware employed many methods for compromising computers, with its creators sometimes purchasing unrecorded security flaws within software so the virus could pierce some targets.

Mask creators prepared various editions of the virus so it could impair computers with any operating system -Linux, Apple iOS or Windows. Kaspersky stated that quite possibly other Mask versions existed which would compromise even smartphones like Apple or Android.

To give the virus a name its creators used Word 'Careto,' meaning mask in Spanish, within its key script. Further indications show Mask's origin to be some Spanish-speaking country.

As per Kaspersky, Mask probably was certain country's creation for enabling it spy, however, wouldn't guess the country name responsible for it.

Among those entities it targeted, Moroccan organizations were the first enlisted, however, firms and institutions inside Spain, France, United Kingdom and Brazil along with several other countries had been ensnared.

Along with the targets mentioned above, the victims also comprised research labs and embassies. The virus on a system captured files, encryption keys, remote access data and private network details.

And just when Mask got discovered its activities were all stopped, while more than 90 control companies for contaminated PCs that harbored Mask's script faced closure.

Remarking about this virus, Liam O'Murchu Security Researcher at Symantec stated that it wasn't wholly evident as to who created it alternatively for what purpose it was used.

O'Murchu explained that some professional person wrote the malware, however, it was harder to state if a private firm/government, which sold such malware, had actually written it. Stupiddope.com published this dated February 11, 2014.

Overall, Symantec and Kaspersky specialists recommend Internauts to maintain up-to-date virus definitions, monitor own browsing activities, as also run frequent computer scans to detect possible threats.

» SPAMfighter News - 2/17/2014