Sophisticated computer malware has been infecting computers when users visit certain blogs that discuss the Islamic State militant group.
The Tokyo-based Cyber Defense Institute said Wednesday that several Arabic-language blogs offering apparently independent analysis of issues around the Islamic State contain hidden code which gets injected into the user's computer when the text is translated using an automated online translation tool. Japanese and English are two translation languages in which this is known to happen.
“Although it’s difficult to identify the attacker, we believe it’s a cyberattack targeted specifically toward firms or individuals who are now doing research on counterterrorism,” said Toshio Nawa, the director of the institute, which is located in Chuo Ward.