Inception Cloud Atlas Malware Loves Windows, Android

What is Inception Cloud Atlas? No, it’s not an insane YouTube mashup or even a holiday movie boxset. Inception Cloud Atlas is, according to a leading antivirus vendor, an “international espionage campaign that’s so sophisticated and comprehensive that it could only have been developed with the backing of a well resourced country…”

If that sound threatening, it’s worth noting there are a few provisos and quid pro quos. For example, if you’re using Windows, Android and/or Blackberry powered devices, you could be majorly effed.

People using Apple’s Macs and iOS powered iThings, jailbreakers aside, are completely in the clear.

Blue Coat, as quoted by AppleInsider, has noted the existence of the Inception Cloud Atlas malware and, if you’re using the wrong kind of computers, it’s super scary.

“There clearly is a well-resourced and very professional organization behind [Inception Cloud Altas], with precise targets and intentions that could be widespread and harmful,” claims Blue Coat. “The complex attack framework shows signs of automation and seasoned programming, and the number of layers used to protect the payload of the attack and to obfuscate the identity of the attackers is extremely advanced, if not paranoid.”

In every case Blue Coat could find, Inception Cloud Atlas spread via infected RTF (rich text format) files on computers running Microsoft Windows. Once infected, Inception Cloud Atlas would then infect the victim’s other computers, including Android and Blackberry devices.

Inception Cloud Atlas: It’s Genetic

Again, Apple’s Macintosh desktop computers aren’t affected and only iPhone, iPad and/or iPod touch owners that have jailbroken their devices are vulnerable.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because other recently malware packages, like Red October (Java), also target Windows, Android and other prominent desktop and mobile operating systems. That is, operating systems other than Apple’s Mac and iOS, which aren’t vulnerable unless the user jailbreaks.

So, Apple’s products are expensive? Open source is more secure? Put simply, as evidenced by Inception Cloud Atlas and other recent malware, no and no…

Do you feel secure using a Mac and/or iPhone?