"Government-grade" malware, which lurks in computer systems undetected for long periods of time, is believed to be in the hands of hackers using it to make rootkits and ransomware more potent.
According to security researchers
at Sentinel Labs, malware originally created for the purpose for government espionage, dubbed Gyges, is now undergoing a transformation as hackers are using the software to make their own rootkits and ransomware more sophisticated and harder to detect.
Gyges was discovered in March this year by Sentinel Labs Research Lab, as detailed within the company's
latest intelligence report (.PDF). According to the report, the malware probably originated from Russia, and "is virtually invisible and capable of operating undetected for long periods of time."
