Symantec, one of the largest computer security firms in the world, seems to need urgent help with computer security. There are reports that Symantec has confirmed that hackers have stolen a portion of its popular flagship product Norton Antivirus.
Are your computers and emails still safe if protected by Norton? This is the key question of the moment.
The Lords of Dharmaraja, which in English means Lords of Kings Of Religion, claim to be in possession of the source code of Norton Antivirus.
A member of the group was posting on Google+ under the handle YamaTough, the content now seems to be removed perhaps by Google (GOOG). It is a dark group indeed, Yama in English means Lord of Death.
A statement from hackers on Pastebin has been removed, but a cache is still available. Here is the statement that has been deleted:
- As of now we start sharing with all our brothers and followers information from the Indian Militaty Intelligence servers, so far we have discovered within the Indian Spy Programme source codes of a dozen software companies which have signed agreements with Indian TANCS programme and CBI.
- Now we release confidential documentation we encountered of Symantec corporation and it’s Norton AntiVirus source code which we are going to publish later on, we are working out mirrors as of now since we experience extreme pressure and censorship from US and India government agencies.
Here are the tweets from YamaTough:
Yama Tough
@YamaTough Mumbai
Anonymous Avengers of Indian Independence Frontier
YamaToughYama ToughSince pastebin is down we g+ updates go 4 it https://plus.google.com/116050386311117934760/posts
21 hours agoFavoriteRetweetReply
YamaToughYama Tough
to prove” we aint spoofey” we pastebin update as of now…stay tuned
22 hours agoFavoriteRetweetReply
YamaToughYama Tough
@briankrebs Hey Brian we grant you the right of primma notte to interview us about Symantec NAV leak. Msg us @ http://bit.ly/wrSjtw
23 hours agoFavoriteRetweetReply
For most users this is a cause for concern. In terms of what action needs to be taken, let the following statement by Symantec provided to Infosec Island be the guide:
“Symantec can confirm that a segment of its source code has been accessed. Symantec’s own network was not breached, but rather that of a third party entity.”
“We are still gathering information on the details and are not in a position to provide specifics on the third party involved.”
“Presently, we have no indication that the code disclosure impacts the functionality or security of Symantec’s solutions. Furthermore, there are no indications that customer information has been impacted or exposed at this time.”
“However, Symantec is working to develop remediation process to ensure long-term protection for our customers’ information. We will communicate that process once the steps have been finalized.”
“Given the early stages of the investigation, we have no further details to disclose at this time but will provide updates as we confirm additional facts.“
Symantec’s main competitor McAfee is now owned by Intel (INTC). As a result of this incident smaller firms such as CHKP, FTNT, and FIRE may benefit. Larger firms such as MSFT, HPQ, CSCO, JNPR, IBM and CA may also benefit.
