Malware researchers have uncovered an attack targeting an organization in the energy industry. Symantec would not name the victimized firm, and so far has seen the attack only in this one organization. The likely scenario for the victim would be an experience in which the computer is booting up, but all the files get erased, and the computer collapses into a non-bootable state. Shamoon is unusual because it goes to great lengths to ensure destroyed data can never be recovered, something that is rarely seen in targeted attacks.
Source: https://thehackernews.com/2012/08/shamoon-malware-permanently-wiping-data.html