Cyber Attacks as Political Protest: Looking Back at Saudi Aramco
Saudi Arabian leaders continue to promise financial backing for Egypt’s military-run government despite brutal attacks on protesting supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi.
Other states are supporting the Egyptian government in various ways – see the US, UAE, and Israel – but a politically-motivated cyber attack last year against oil company Saudi Aramco makes Saudi Arabia’s stance notable from a security perspective.
Last fall, state-owned Saudi Aramco was affected by “wiper” malware that destroyed more than 30,000 company workstations. Attack signatures including a burning American flag image, and statements allegedly from the responsible groups suggested political protest as their cause.
Will those state industries once again be targeted, this time in retribution for government support of the Egyptian military?
With that question in mind, we look back at the August 2012 cyber attack against Saudi Aramco. Our report summarizes web intelligence on attack attribution and changes in “wiper” malware against state targets.
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