scorecard
  1. Home
  2. finance
  3. Saudi Arabia has been hit by a 'digital bomb' from possibly Iran

Saudi Arabia has been hit by a 'digital bomb' from possibly Iran

Oscar Williams-Grut   

Saudi Arabia has been hit by a 'digital bomb' from possibly Iran
Finance2 min read

A Saudi security officer monitors live feed screens showing Muslim pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca, along with highways and high density areas, during hajj annual pilgrimage, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016. ()

AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty

A Saudi security officer monitors live feed screens showing Muslim pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca.

Saudi Arabia has suffered a serious of "destructive" cyber attacks over the past few weeks, according to a Bloomberg News report.

Saudi Arabia confirmed to Bloomberg that several government agencies have been targeted, including Saudi's General Authority of Civil Aviation. Thousands of computers were destroyed in the Saudi air office.

The Bloomberg report says a "digital bomb" was detonated inside the systems of several agencies at once and the government is now reviewing other branches of the government for traces of the same cyber weapon.

A source told Bloomberg that early evidence suggests the attacks came from Iran, although the attack may simply have been made to look like it came from Iran.

The attacked used the same malware programme, known as Shamoon, that attacked the Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco in 2012.

You can read the full Bloomberg piece here.

READ MORE ARTICLES ON


Advertisement

Advertisement