A spyware virus turned on its webcams and microphones, the Russian intelligence agency has claimed.
Russian authorities claim to have found evidence of a targeted cyber espionage attack on 20 organisations across the country.
Russia's intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), posted the claim on its website, saying the spyware virus was spread via an email with a malicious attachment. The virus targeted scientific and military institutions and parts of the country's critical national infrastructure, it added.
The virus is able to take screenshots, turn on webcams and microphones, and record what's being typed, according to the FSB. It did not say who it thought was responsible for the attack.
The FSB's claim about cyber espionage follows the recent attack on the Democratic National Committee's computer systems, and the subsequent leaking of the stolen data, which has been blamed by many on hackers backed by Russia -- something its government has denied.
Read more on cyber espionage
- NATO: 'New realities' make internet a potential front line in conflict
- The new art of war: How trolls, hackers and spies are rewriting the rules of conflict (TechRepublic)
- Inside the secret digital arms race: Facing the threat of a global cyberwar (TechRepublic)
- Cyberwar, out of the shadows (Q&A) (CNET)