What?!

Kaspersky Labs, an anitvirus company, has discovered a nearly incurable computer virus that infects the firmware of a victim’s hard drive — the component that stores all data on a computer. Kaspersky Labs has dubbed the hack’s creators the “Equation” group for “their love for encryption algorithms and obfuscation strategies” in Kaspersky’s document of analysis, which one can view at 25zbkz3k00wn2tp5092n6di7b5k.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2015/02/Equation_group_questions_and_answers.pdf.

What it does

To clear some confusion, a hard drive is the large metal box in a computer that stores its contents. It’s a physical device with physical components — the tasks those components perform is called

firmware. Magnetic discs (or chips of flash memory solid-state drives use) and microchips automate the extraction and creation of contents on the disc and service procedures like detecting faults and correcting them (http://blog.kaspersky.com/equation-hdd-malware/). Deep, physical actions as such are complex — so complex the hard drive uses its own computer chip for it. That’s the “firmware,” and its sophistication could puzzle any mathematician.

The Equation group manipulated the intricate system of firmware. And it’s so, er, firm, it’s “theoretically able to reinfect hard drive’s boot area, infecting a newly installed operating system from the very beginning” (http://blog.kaspersky.com/equation-hdd-malware/). That means a total hard-drive wipe wouldn’t eradicate this virus.

What to do

… Nothing. Aforementioned, actions of any possible rescue won’t destroy the Equation virus. The only known solution is purchasing a new hard drive.

However, an invincible computer bug isn’t cheap. Every model of hard drive is unique, so the Equation group would need to create and test their virus for each specific model. A process like that requires numerous procedures and information difficult to acquire. Many knowledgeable tech-gurus don’t suspect a widespread pandemic of Equation’s illness.

Don’t worry. Equation is devastating, but tiny. If it spreads nationwide, masters of computers will probably have already developed counterattacks and defenses.