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Bank Info Security, By Mathew Schwartz

The FBI has reportedly issued an emergency "flash alert" to businesses, warning that it's recently seen a destructive "wiper" malware attack launched against a U.S. business.

Security experts say the FBI alert marks the first time that dangerous "wiper" malware has been used in an attack against a business in the U.S., and many say the warning appears to be tied to the Nov. 24 hack of Sony, by a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace

Large-scale wiper attacks are quite rare, because most malware attacks are driven by cybercrime, with criminals gunning not to delete data, but rather to quietly steal it, and for as long as possible, says Roel Schouwenberg, a security researcher at anti-virus firm Kaspersky Lab. "Simply wiping all date is a level of escalation from which there is no recovery." Listen to the podcast with Roel Schouwenberg here

'Wiper' Malware: What You Need to Know - Bank Info Security

'Wiper' Malware: What You Need to Know - Bank Info Security
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