Iran Claims ‘Stars’ Virus Hit Gov’t Computers

Iran claims to have discovered a new espionage virus targeting its government computers, BBC News reported.

The malware — dubbed Stars — has been able to inflict minor damage, according to the head of Iran’s civil defense organization.

If the reports are correct, it would be the second major cyber attack in a year, after the Stuxnet worm attacked the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz.

Gholam Reza Jalali, military head of the Iranian Passive Defence Organisation, said it would take some time to learn Stars’ intended purpose. The virus is still being investigated in a laboratory and no final conclusion has been reached, he added.

Jalali told BBC the virus could have been “mistaken for executive files of governmental organization,” but did not indicate who might be behind the attack.

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