This picture (blurred out for your protection) is being spammed to individuals contacts on their phones, after the user clicks a “Tax Return” link. The link tricks users to click it by giving tax return advice.

While the virus appears to be highly sophisticated, Ben-Ismael said “Penis Virus” is not the most dangerous virus because it neither steals information nor rather does it not cause damage in the physical world.

“If you speak about danger, the real danger in using cyber technology is computers being damaged which control physical systems like trains and power production,” he said. Whether the handiwork of terrorist groups or adversary states; the cyber security threat is significantly higher than before. Some have worried that this type of virus could be used to take control of those systems, to disrupt operations or trigger a major accident, but experts say an early analysis of the code suggests it was probably designed to steal secrets from manufacturing plants and other industrial facilities.

“This virus will make all of your contacts, your mom, your boss, your husband, your exes, all think that you sent them a picture of your penis.”

This has all the hallmarks of weaponized software, probably for espionage,” said Jake Brodsky, an IT worker with a large utility, who asked that his company not be identified because he was not authorized to speak on its behalf.

Earlier this week after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Hillary Clinton said she “raised the growing threat of cyber attacks that are occurring on an increasing basis.”

“Both the United States and China are victims of cyber attacks. Intellectual property, commercial data, national security information is being targeted,” she said. “This is an issue of increasing concern to the business community and the government of the United States, as well as many other countries, and it is vital that we work together to curb this behavior.”

Two researchers at the University of Texas Dallas, Vishwath Mohan and Kevin Hamlen, demonstrated a program earlier this month that could help the makers of malware create viruses that assemble themselves out of all the bits and pieces of code in their victim computers.

Their program is called “Frankenstein,” after the scientist in Mary Shelley’s novel who created a monster (at least in the film versions) out of different body parts gathered from from graveyards and slaughterhouses. – CNN