Japanese officials have discovered a malware in computers used in the Parliament.
According to the New York Times, the virus was detected in personal computers used by three members of the lower house, as well as possibly a computer server. It is believed that the virus spread after one of the three members opened an e-mail attachment containing the virus.
The NYT quoted a government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, saying about the attack.
Fujimura has said that a full investigation is now under way. Though he did not divulge further details, it is believed that the virus had been used to hack into computers sometime in the past three months, with reports saying that hackers could have stolen log-in information and e-mails.
Japanese officials have not said anything about who might have been behind the latest attacks, or what the hackers might have been after.
A similar incident was reported in March this year in Australia. The parliamentary computers of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and those of at least two senior ministers were reportedly subject to hacking for over a month beginning in February. The Sydney’s Daily Telegraph had then said that Chinese intelligence agencies were among the suspects.
It had said, "Four separate government sources confirmed that they had been told Chinese intelligence agencies were among a list of foreign hackers that are under suspicion."
