French cyber security experts say the U.S. government used software resembling Flame to hack into computers of the French presidential staff, the magazine l’Express said in a report that was picked up by The Hill.
The computers of advisers to former President Nicolas Sarkozy were hacked in May, l’Express reported, during the run-up to elections in which Mr. Sarkozy was defeated by Francois Hollande. Flame is the same virus allegedly created by the U.S. and Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear program.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano didn’t deny or confirm the allegation in an interview with l’Express, but according to The Hill, reiterated the close ties between the U.S. and France in an interview with the magazine.
“We have no greater partner than France, we have no greater ally than France,” Ms. Napolitano told l’Express. “We cooperate in many areas related to security.”
As to why the U.S. would hack the computers of such a close ally, l’Express suggests, simply, that intelligence agencies crave intelligence. Or maybe they were just looking for photos of Carla Bruni in the buff.