Latest waves of cyber attacks targeting US corporations

Washington: A new wave of cyber attacks is being primarily aimed at American corporations, the sources of which seem to emanate from the Middle East.

The attackers` motive seems to be not just spying, but also sabotaging of control systems of energy companies. The attackers are yet to be identified as to whether they are state sponsored or private hackers or criminals.

The intrusions are a matter of concern for American officials who hope that these attacks don`t lead to something big like the Saudi Aramco case, where 30,000 computers were affected last year, reports The New York Times.

Officials are yet to confirm whether Iran or some other Middle East country is behind these attacks. The latest attacks are aimed at destroying data, manipulating industrial machinery or shutting down networks that deliver energy or industrial processes.

Homeland Security officials will release a warning about such attacks after analyzing the exact nature and level of intrusion in the industrial systems.

The Department of Homeland Security is already grappling with the problem of a lack of a cyber security force and exodus of top officials.

ANI