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Cyber Virus Targets Ukrainian Networks


Cyber security experts say an aggressive virus called "Snake" has been targeting dozens of Ukrainian telecommunications systems, and the number of attacks has surged since January 2013.

BAE Systems, an international cyber security company, announced in a report Friday that it has identified 56 "Snake" attacks worldwide since 2010, and of those, 32 targeted Ukraine. Twenty-two of those attacks on Ukraine have taken place since January 2013, and among those targeted were Ukrainian government networks.

Experts say the virus, also known as "Ouroboros," for the mythological Greek serpent that eats its own tail, can give operators unfettered access to networks, allowing them to either conduct surveillance undetected or control the system themselves.

The author of the Snake virus is unidentified, but experts say operators appear to be based in the same time zone as Moscow, and there is some Russian text embedded in the code.

Analysts say the virus bears similarities to Stuxnet, the virus that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities in 2010.
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