Symantec Uncovers Tricky ‘Regin’ Malware

Anti-Virus company Symantec has identified a heavy malware threat named ‘Regin’. It’s said by PC World that this nasty piece of work was likely developed by a nation state and used by these criminals to spy on governments, infrastructure operators, businesses, researching and individuals as far back as 2008.

Symantec released a statement on Sunday alongside a technical paper about the malware. Said to span across 10 countries including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Ireland, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Belgium, Austria and Pakistan, Symantec had the following to say: “Regin displays a degree of technical competence rarely seen”. It’s interesting to note that England, Australia and USA are not included on this list.

Worried for your own safety? You probably shouldn’t be. Up until this news has been uncovered and spread across the globe, you hadn’t been effected by it personally, so why would you now? We’re not trying to partake in any ‘big news’ fear mongering, don’t worry. However, if you’re the president of one of the countries listed above, then maybe you should take a knee and listen. A very select target audience, I know.

It’s reported that the first incarnation of Regin was used to spy on multiple organizations from 2008 to 2011, seeing it withdrawn and re-injected late into 2013. Symantec also claim that nearly half of the systems with Regin installed have been identified to involve private individuals and small businesses.

Symantec claims that Regin is a back-door Trojan that is “customizable with an extensive range of capabilities depending on the target” and “it provides its controllers with a powerful framework for mass surveillance.” Alongside stating that “its authors have gone to great lengths to cover its tracks.”

We’ll continue to report as the story develops.

Image courtesy of Techtimes