Flame virus- No impact on SL yet

31 May 2012 03:00 pm

The deadly virus that has the ability to copy high level information from state agencies and other parties has not had any impact in Sri Lanka as yet, The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) confirmed.

The Flame computer virus that smoldered undetected for years in Middle Eastern energy facilities confirmed fears that the world has entered a new age of cyber espionage and sabotage.

Internet defenders on Wednesday were tearing into freshly exposed Flame malware (malicious software) that could be adapted to spread to critical infrastructures in countries around the world.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror Information Technology Engineer of SLCERT Roshan Chandraguptha said that the virus is yet to affect Sri Lanka and that there has been no reported case of the virus affecting any Lankan computers. “Iran is the main country that has been affected by this virus. What happens through this virus is that computer and network data can be stolen undetected from one place to another” he said.

Chandraguptha went on to say that the mode of ‘travel’ of the virus can be both by external devices such as USB’s and external hard drives and also through the network “The danger of the virus is that it can be transmitted both externally and through the network” he said.

However the Information technology engineer went on to point out that since there has not been any case of the virus affecting Sri Lanka SLCERT is unable to ascertain its reaction. “We have done everything that is necessary in order to take precaution from it. Iranian CERT has shared information regarding the removing of the virus and we will use that information as well. Iran seems to be a targeted attack and is the worst affected country from the virus, we watching the developments very closely” he said. (By Hafeel Farisz)