MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The hardest problem about finding the source of cyberattacks is attribution since a hacker's country of origin can only be guessed by clues in the malware code, the chief malware expert at Kaspersky Lab said Wednesday.
The attack was carried out through a computer network from around the world, but investigators from the FBI, Secret Service and US intelligence agencies found codes and "other markers" that pointed to Russian cybercriminals, the US broadcaster claimed.
Kaspersky's Alex Gostev told RIA Novosti it was mostly guesswork, since hackers can only be traced back by following "indirect signs, including the presence of Cyrillic words in the malevolent code or mistakes that are typical for Russian speakers."
"But, in our opinion, this is not enough to make such conclusions."
He said the work of tracing hackers back is an international problem that can only be solved through cooperation between security agencies, law enforcement and victims in all countries involved. And even then there is only a slim chance of success, Gostev added.
US authorities have not confirmed that Russia was behind the breach. Reports indicate that hackers had accessed some sensitive information about US President Barack Obama's schedule, among other personal data.
Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of cyberattacks but without providing evidence to back up these claims. In February, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper named Russia, China, Iran and North Korea as the leading cyberthreats to the United States.
