Adding fuel to the speculation that the Flame Virus is a government-created weapon, new reports reveal that President Obama ordered the launch of “cyberattacks” using computer malware as one of his first acts as president.
US dalliances into this sort of attack are of course well established, with the 2010 leak of the Stuxnet worm causing worldwide havoc. The worm, a joint creation of the US and Israel, was meant to target Iran’s uranium enrichment facility and was developed to attack Siemens computers. After its escape, it was altered by other groups and attacked Siemens computers worldwide, including in the United States.
Apparently even getting caught out on the Stuxnet disaster didn’t phase Obama, who ordered the program to continue even after this. The US is also said to have used viruses to attack Iran’s Russian built Bushehr power plant, bizarre since the president has insisted that the US doesn’t object to the energy program.
After initial confirmation from unnamed officials in the media, the US has denied any role in the Flame Virus, which is spreading across the Middle East. The virus, one of the most advanced ever seen, allows the attacker to capture keystrokes and screenshots, and even to turn on the microphones of affected systems to record conversations happening nearby.
Correction: faze not phase
Funny, our government regard cyber attacks as acts of war, yet they're somehow 'different' when we do them. Of course, for an administration for whom ordering an American civilian's death without due process of law is only a signature away- or maybe not even that- why would this be news?
I shudder to think what would happen here in the US if one of these viruses were to target our computer networks- but on the other hand, I'd be having a very good laugh watching the Washington antics. "Hoist by his own petard" indeed.
If it had been found out that China had loosed a virus/malware that had brought down say, the power grid for the entire east coast of the US, the calls for "enhanced" retaliation from our Congress would be overwhelming. But, as you say, because "we" do it then it's OK. Righteous even.
It's different when we do them because our leaders are all extremely high off the smell of their own sh*t and hubris. Hypocrite, thy name is American
Given the fact that Stuxnet attacks industrial controllers those who designed and deployed it should be held criminally responsible. I am sure if a third world country had done something similar they would be severely punished with sanctions and boycotts if not an outright military action. What if these worms mutate and start attacking our own industrial controllers? What if Iran makes something similar and deploys it on US and Israel? Wouldn't that be considered an act of war?
Only four countries had the technical know-how to develop the Flame virus: "Israel, the U.S., China and Russia."
Since the virus was obviously intended for Iran, we can eliminate its friends China and Russia.
This leaves only Israel and us.
Having thoroughly demonized Iran, anything we do to it has become fair game.
But there is nothing fair or right about taking another country's data. Certainly we would not want China or Russia taking our data and spreading it to 80 separate servers.
As a leader of the world community aspiring for governance through universal fairness, we can no longer afford to follow the beaten path of expediency chosen by Israel. Doing so will not only deprive us of our moral authority, but will also squander our unique opportunity to fashion a more just and fair world.
You are a leader of the world community, but in WAR CRIMES and BARBARISM, thanks to your government and the Fifth column.
They succeeded in turning you from a nation of freedom , bravery , etc into a nation of cowards and brainwashed puppets. how sad for you and for the world as well….
Israel is a terror state, OUR terror state, and we will all rest easier when it is defanged and relegated to harmless Vatican City or third world banana republic status.
It's easy to pick a fight when you won't be the one doing the fighting.
to kafantaris: what moral authority? were you comatose for a two decades?