A complex targeted virus has been discovered stealing data in the Middle East, security researchers announced. Named Flame, the malware is designed to steal files and information about systems as well as computer display contents and audio conversations. It has been operation since 2010. Flame is designed to steal information about targeted systems and stored files. The virus is about 20 times the size of Stuxnet, malware that targeted the controls of an Iranian nuclear facility.
"One of the most alarming facts is that the Flame cyber-attack campaign is currently in its active phase, and its operator is consistently surveilling infected systems, collecting information and targeting new systems to accomplish its unknown goals." Kasperky Labs' chief expert Alexander Gostev said in a statement. Eugene Kaspersky, the founder and CEO of the Kaspersky compared the new virus with Stuxnet. "The Flame malware looks to be another phase in this war, and it's important to understand that such cyber weapons can easily be used against any country," Kaspersky said in a statement. "Unlike with conventional warfare, the more developed countries are actually the most vulnerable in this case."