À la recherche d’Octobre rouge: des spécialistes essaient d’attraper Octobre rouge, un virus qui s’infiltre dans les communications diplomatiques.

Benjamin Bidder, Matthias Schepp et Hilmar Schmundt dans le Spiegel

For five years now, the Red October computer virus has embarked on a new brand of espionage, stealing emails and other encrypted classified documents undetected from diplomats around the world. Though the virus may now be in hibernation, it’s designed so that it can strike again at anytime.

The three virus hunters, part of a special unit at Kaspersky, a Russian computer firm, are hunting for “Red October.” It’s the moniker they have given to a newly discovered spy program, inspired by the almost noiseless submarine in the eponymous novel by Tom Clancy.

The virus has infected at least 350 government ministries, embassies and research facilities worldwide, especially in the former Soviet republics. The attackers apparently had “a special interest in geopolitically significant information,” says virus analyst Kamlyuk.