A new computer virus, dubbed Gauss, has been discovered in the Middle East. Researchers say can it steal banking credentials and hijack login information for social networking sites, email and instant messaging accounts.

Cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab said Gauss is the work of the same "factory" or "factories" that built the Stuxnet worm, which attacked Iran's nuclear program. Here are some key facts about Gauss, according to Kaspersky Lab.

Q. What is its purpose?
A. Gauss is a surveillance tool. It steals credentials for hacking online banking systems, social networking sites and email accounts; it also gathers information about infected PCs, including Web browsing history, system passwords and the
contents of disk drives.

Q. Can it do anything else?
A. There is a mysterious module, known as Godel, that copies malicious code onto USB drives when they are plugged into infected PCs. Godel's purpose is unknown because some of its code is compressed and scrambled using a sophisticated
encryption method. It only activates when it infects a predetermined target.
Researchers have not identified the target or figured out its mission. Kaspersky Lab senior researcher Roel Schouwenberg said he believes it may be a "warhead" designed to damage industrial control systems.

Q. How many victims are there? A. Kaspersky Lab has uncovered more than 2,500 computers infected with Gauss since late May. It estimates the total number of victims is in the tens of thousands. The largest number of infections were found were in Lebanon, followed by Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

Q. Is Gauss still a threat?
A. Yes. Infected USB drives could still launch attacks. Servers that controlled infected machines were shutdown in July, so it is unlikely that any more information will be stolen from the surveillance part of the operation.

Q. Why is it called Gauss?
A. The virus is built using modules with internal names that appear to be inspired by famous mathematicians and philosophers, including Kurt Godel, Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss and Joseph-Louis Lagrange. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/08/09/us-cybersecurity-gauss-factbox-idUKBRE8780VT20120809
Kaspersky named the entire operation after the Gauss component as it implements the data-stealing capabilities.

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Source: Gauss cyber-spying virus infected PCs in Middle East

nice

Conspiracy theory: if it's an offshoot of the virus that attacked Iran's nuclear program, and is targeting middle-eastern countries, America GB

Hope as i'm reading dis my PC will not get spoiled ooo? Pls tell dis people them O i kn get money 2 buy new PC ooo.

Wow! I'm the only viewer! For a front page topic, that's unusual!

donlet: nice

Some set of people are terrorizing the cyberspace with virus and all you could say is nice...mtcheeeew

Hmmmm...
Still one of the new technological developments in d world. We really need to be extra careful with these things.

Well...Advents of computer viruses will keep getting sophisticated as technology grows...

Use a good anti-virus

Stay Safe...

We hardly detects were this viruses are coming from. I suspect America and Isreal becus they have d capacity to manufacture sophisticated virus. I hope they also produce anti-virus for it? This is called Cyber-warfare.

Old news.

So who is a terrorist?

Methinks they are giving a new name to an old spyware.

No gocking, its the handy work of the jews.
The infection is concentrated around isreal and the ones infected inside isreal is most likely those suspected of espionage within it.
I'm sure as I'm typing jew, it would be lurking around trying to know whatsup.
But its okay, they need to step up there game less they get annihilated by their hostile neighbors.

looks to me like world war 3 is going to be fought in the cyber space

Western conspiracy. Doesn't surprise me when these massively funded, highly precision malwares are being discovered by only Eastern Europe based antivirus companies. I won't call that coincidence.

Billyonaire: Methinks they are giving a new name to an old spyware.

very possible or maybe an improved spyware

What doesnt have a solution wil never exist.The same people responsible for blowing the whistle are most likely the people with the antidote.Cyber war is another way of fighting war.It gets interesting as more IT guys,hackers,Network security experts,Programmers are demanded on daily basis.The world is stepping up in terms of technology,security,sports while Nigeria is stepping up in corruption.We are stil in 10th century here while other nations are way ahead of us.Shame

gbadexy: No gocking, its the handy work of the jews.
The infection is concentrated around isreal and the ones infected inside isreal is most likely those suspected of espionage within it.
I'm sure as I'm typing jew, it would be lurking around trying to know whatsup.
But its okay, they need to step up there game less they get annihilated by their hostile neighbors.

is that your honest quess work?

Interesting.

Any download link

Am not surpriseð!! While some peeps are stepping up their game in solving the worlð's enðemic problems,some mad men are busy creating uneccesary bullshit just to show they are qood enough to be noticeð.......mtscheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!!

Why.Gauss? Why.Gauss?

Donalð Genes: Am not surpriseð!! While some peeps are stepping up their game in solving the worlð's enðemic problems,some mad men are busy creating uneccesary bullshit just to show they are qood enough to be noticeð.......mtscheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!!

I don't understand. Hold on, you think these precision malwares are the result of some anti-social teens in their moms' basement trying to be the coolest kid on the block?

In case you dont know, Gauss, stuxnet, flame etc are highly complex and sophisticated malwares built by highly knowledgeable 'motive minded' researchers and experts.

These guys utilise so much zero day vulnerabilities on critical infrastructure hardwares and western multinational vendors softwares, its hard not to see the pact and correlation.

These are not products of mad men as you say but pawns in a bigger political scuffle.

These hi-tech viruses are another form of warfare.

Pls is my Payza and LR @ risk?

But Y does Iran need a nuclear weapon now that there is a little peace in the world. ? Now it's all about disarming those noise makers.

GEJ should find d manufacturers of d GAUsS Virus of a thing n tell them 2 snd it 2 d BKH system so dat d̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ̲̣̣̥ can get infor abt dem n get 2 knw d people dat r supporting dem n get 2 knw their nxt target

Opoki: Pls is my Payza and LR @ risk?

Nope, the two site is safe for now.

Aviod viral infection, Use a condom

Naija has to positevely reposition herself oh, cos in this cyber-werfare, either you are a "queen","bishop", "rook", "knight" or a pawn to the others.

How is this related to StuxNet even remotely... Its not been proven to attack hardware.

SNCOQ3: How is this related to StuxNet even remotely... Its not been proven to attack hardware.

they are just trying to make a story out of it.