Iran says it has discovered “a new computer virus aimed at espionage" in the alleged cyberwar with its enemies.
“Iranian experts have identified the particular characteristics of Stars Malware,” Commander Gholamreza Jalali told Mehr News Agency today, adding: "The virus is compatible and harmonious with the [computer] system and in the initial phase it does minor damage and might be mistaken for some executive files of government organizations."
Jalai maintained that Iran’s experts are studying various aspects of this virus to take all necessary precautions against its potential capabilities.
While Jalali did not elaborate on which centres have been affected by the virus, he called on the foreign ministry to become more vigilant in its response to this “cyber attack.”
Last year, an infection by the Stuxnet computer virus was reported in Iran’s industrial computer systems, which many experts have blamed for the delays in launching the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. Jalali told Mehr News Agency that Stuxnet still posed a potential threat
Iranian officials have said they neutralized Stuxnet before it could damage their systems. They accuse Israel and the U.S. of waging the cyber war against Iran.