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Government Websites Fall Victim to Virus Attacks in Saudi Arabia | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013 illustration file photo. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Files


Jeddah-Some government agencies in Saudi Arabia have come under fierce virus attacks that aim at hacking their websites through sending spam messages to the inbox.

A government alert warned users in state agencies and mega companies of spam e-mails that might badly damage their computer devices. The alert added that hundreds of foreign addresses from diverse countries attacked websites of different government authorities; later on these websites functioned normally.

The official alert continued that the target user receives an e-mail with zipped folder attachments. Once the user downloads the five attachments, the virus spots the most important files on the computer and the virus is then activated.

Warnings added that there is also Boaxxe i.e. a backdoor that can be remotely controlled and can install, download and activate additives in famous web browsers such as Google, Firefox and Chrome.

Programmers said that hackers aim to cause the greatest damage possible through sending the user a full package virus on the electronic mail.

Experts forecast that more cyber-attacks on Middle East users are likely given that they basically depend on social network messages. Yet, they assured that careful check of the messages would foil any attempted attack.

This is the second time official websites get hacked and cyber-attacked from abroad in 2016. The Ministry of Interior was among the websites that stopped working during the past months.

In August 2015, Aramco was a victim of several cyber-attacks; Saudi authorities stated that these attacks aimed at halting production.