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Online spy ring has compromised MATO members' systems, report warns

Online spies have managed to hack into hundreds of machines operated by NATO and its member nations, it has emerged.

In what represents one of the biggest hacking operations of all time, Information Warfare Monitor (IWM) has revealed that as many as 1,295 machines at foreign embassies, banks and media organisations are likely to have been compromised by the GhostNet spy system.

While researchers at the IWM have yet to conclusively identify those responsible for this online security attack, it is widely believed that the network is being controlled from China, with the country having been blamed for online attacks on more than 300 British businesses back in 2007.

"The GhostNet system directs infected computers to download a Trojan known as Ghost Rat that allows attackers to gain complete, real-time control," the report from the IWM explained.

"Almost certainly, documents are being removed without the targets' knowledge, keystrokes logged, web cameras are being silently triggered and audio inputs surreptitiously activated."

Also in 2007, Estonia blamed Russia for an online security attack, which saw its government and bank servers downed for several weeks.

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