Iran Cyber-Attacked by Computer Virus
After being bombarded last year by the Stuxnet computer virus, allegedly targeted at disabling its nuclear weapons program, Iran is now under fire from a new computer worm named Stars, according to a government spokesman.
Iranian officials say the latest wave of continued cyber-attacks aimed at their country again take the form of a seemingly innocuous computer program that quietly and clandestinely insinuates itself into network systems, doing little damage upfront. However, the potential to disrupt electronic processes and cause equipment failure is reportedly high when the application finally activates, although government representatives have declined to specify which equipment the malware targets.
“These sabotages . . . are outright criminal and illegal, aimed at preventing Iranians from implementing their peaceful nuclear rights,” said Alireza Miryousefi, an Iranian official at the United Nations, in a recent statement. Iran has previously accused the U.S. and Israeli governments of being the source of the Stuxnet attacks.