Iran issues warning about VPNFilter malware attack

Tehran   :  Iran's cybersecurity authority has issued a warning about an imminent malware attack, the media reported on Monday.

The spread of a malware, named VPNFilter is likely, can affect hundreds of thousands of home and office routers, and collect users' information or shut down network traffic, Iran's Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre said, Xinhua reported.

The attack is not limited to Iran and has impacted many computer users across the world, the centre warned.

It said it has advised the owners of many brands of routers to turn them off and on again, and download updates from the manufacturer to protect themselves.

The malware was initially detected by Cisco Systems Inc., which said that the hacking campaign targeted devices from Belkin International's Linksys, MikroTik, Netgear Inc, TP-Link and QNAP.