Cyber lab turns to cryptology experts for help

The mysterious Gauss cyber-surveillance malware has experts stumped. Kaspersky Lab, a Moscow-based security vendor, has been dissecting Gauss.

The mysterious Gauss cyber-surveillance malware has experts stumped. Kaspersky Lab, a Moscow-based security vendor, has been dissecting Gauss. But the company, in a blog, appealed to cryptology experts to help it unlock Gauss’ deepest secrets.

ComputerWorld reports, Kaspersky figured out Gauss is spread using USB memory sticks. But much of the code is encrypted using a key called RC4.

Gauss is suspected of being related to Stuxnet, the 2010 virus that helped wreck Iranian nuclear centrifuges. The federal government was later found to have had a hand in developing Stuxnet. Gauss spies on financial activity at banks in the Middle East.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily Cybersecurity Update. For more cybersecurity news, click here.

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Getty Images/iStockphoto/SIphotographyretirement

    How to make sure you outlive your investments after you retire

    Read more