In a previous article I mentioned how anti-virus programs give you a false sense of security but the final nail in the coffin is the Flame virus — which has been undetected in the wild for over 2 years and found by accident. It is the most sophisticated malware to date, and evidence seems to point to cyber terrorism. Similar coding practices were found between Flame and the Stuxnet virus which was the virus used to sabotage Iran’s nuclear capabilities.It is by far the largest malware I’ve ever heard of; approximately 20 megabytes in size. How could something this large hide itself? It made itself appear to come from Microsoft by using a counterfeit security certificate.
What does it do?
- Keeps track of websites you visit
- Records audio
- Captures screen shots
- Stores keyboard activity
- Tracks mouse movements
- Monitors network traffic
- “Tapes” your Skype conversations
According to estimates by Kaspersky in May 2012, initially Flame had infected approximately 1,000 machines,with victims including governmental organizations, educational institutions and private individuals. At that time the countries most affected were Iran, Israel, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
Should you get rid of your anti-virus program? Absolutely not! It’s like a bike helmet: It’s not going to protect you from getting hit by a car, but it will protect you from a smaller threat.