U.S. Denies Using Flame Malware To Spy On French President

CowboyRobot writes with the (not unexpected) official U.S. denial of using the Flame malware to spy on France. From the article: "That allegation was leveled at the U.S. government by unnamed French officials, according to a Tuesday report in the weekly French newspaper L'Express. It reported that computers belonging to top advisers to then French president Nicolas Sarkozy had been hacked using the Flame cyberespionage malware, which was designed to be used in highly targeted attacks... Napolitano was also asked if it wasn't ironic that while the United States has been sounding alarms over the growing amount of malware that's targeting U.S. government system, it also commissioning the Stuxnet and Flame cyber-espionage malware used against Iran. Napolitano, however, pled official ignorance. 'These programs were never attributed in any way to the U.S. government.'"

Comments

U.S. Denies Using Flame Malware To Spy On French

[Anonymous Coward]

U.S. Denies Using Flame Malware To Spy On French President

So what did they use to spy on him then?

First rule of politics...

[Kergan]

Never believe anything until it's been officially denied. (source)

How sincere...

[Anonymous Coward]

F: Hey, USA, did you eat my last cupcake?
USA: The consumption of the last cupcake was never attributed in any way to me.
F: I see. But did you eat it?
USA: Beyond this point, your question presupposes a yes or no answer...
F: Well, yes, I want to know if you ate it...
USA: ...while my job is to, er, increase the protection of cupcakes using all the means available to me.
F: Okaayy... you ate it, didn't you?
USA: Look, to do this, my cupcake procurement and protection budget has been increased 40% last year, and will increases another 75% next year. Everyone's cupcakes will be safer!
F: Wow, thanks! But I notice you didn't actually deny taking my cupcake.
USA: Sorry, I have to go now.

Re:I find this denial very truthful...

[davecb]

And in the spirit of "truthyness", they said they didn't spy on the French Government, but instead on the advisers to a candidate during an election which he eventually lost. Just a tiny bit different from spying on the President. Perhaps they were only spying on his political advisers in any case.

Actually, I think it was Francois Hollande spying on Sarco's election campaign (:-))

--dave

Re:U.S. Denies Using Flame Malware To Spy On Frenc

[DoofusOfDeath]

Non! "Le Flamé Royale"!

With Cheese.

Re:Of course they deny it.

[tehpuppet]

Exactly, like the time the French government denied attacking a civilian ship in New Zealand, murdering one of the crew members in the process. Then when caught, lied to the UN about punishing the agents involved.