Czech security experts have uncovered a global network of devices attacked by computer viruses within which it was possible to wiretap and gain access to sensitive data, Jan Vykopal, head of the security project of Masaryk University, told CTK yesterday.

Modems were among the attacked devices as they are only poorly protected. The viruses were able to deflect the communication of Internet users to servers where they could be wiretapped, Vykopal said.

Vykopal’s colleagues along with experts from the Brno Military Academy and the Defence Ministry have uncovered the dangerous network.

“The assailants have denoted the network of the subjugated installations as Chuck Norris,” Defence Ministry spokeswoman Lucie Kubovicova said.

Experts said the network’s main threats included the gaining of various sensitive data such as access details for bank accounts, e-mail boxes, passwords to various services, social networks and users’ other personal data.

Besides, a number of computers and other installations connected through the Internet can be used for attacks on well secured servers as well, Vykopal said.

“We do not know whether the network we uncovered can also be used for this as we do not know the number of the devices that are included in it,” Vykopal said.

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