In 2010 we had Stuxnet, which was claimed to be the first malware that spied on industrial systems. This was followed by Duqu in 2011 and researchers at Symantec said that Duqu was based on Stuxnet.

 

But now in 2012 we have something far more sinister--Flame. Flame has nothing in common with Duqu or Stuxnet, but this is no cause for relief. According to a posting to Kaspersky's blog by Mr Alexander Gostev, Kaspersky Lab Expert, Flame's operations include "...sniffing the network traffic, taking screenshots, recording audio conversations, intercepting the keyboard, and so on." He also noted that "...the complexity of the threat leaves no doubt about it being a nation state that sponsored the research that went into it."

 

Think of your country doing this to you. What if they could activate your PC's mike--or worse still, your mobile's mike--and hear what is being said by you to your friends? Today, celebrities routinely get into trouble because of their tweets; tomorrow, even so-called private conversations could land people in trouble.

 

Many countries have rules that govern telephone tapping, but the Internet is not always governed by such rules. This means that any nation that wants to keep an eye on its people could in the future use viruses like Flame--in a manner chillingly reminiscent of the telescreen in George Orwell's 1984--to keep an eye on you.

 

Don't nod your head if you agree. Somebody could be using your own web cam and catch you in the act.

 

balaji.n@thehindu.co.in

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