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Saudi says foreign group behind cyber-attacks

[December 10, 2012]  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- A Saudi official says the cyber-attacks that hit the country's oil giant Aramco and Qatari natural gas producer RasGas in August originated outside the kingdom.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said in a statement Sunday that an investigation concluded that an "organized foreign group ... was behind the attacks" and that Aramco employees were not involved. He did not name the group, or say where it was based.

The cyber-attacks used a virus, known as Shamoon, which can spread through networked computers and ultimately wipes out files by overwriting them.

Aramco has said production wasn't affected.

Two previously unknown groups claimed responsibility for the Aramco attack to avenge what it called Saudi support for "crimes and atrocities" in Syria, Bahrain and other Arab countries.

[Associated Press]

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