It begins with a simple USB Key, then with surgical precision, penetrates some of the world's most advanced computer security. The first cyber weapon, say experts, to threaten to damage targets in the real world. Cyber strategist like Gadi Evron say the Stuxnet worm is so formidable and almost certainly has to have state backing. This would require a lot of resources on the level of a nation state. You know, it's taking into account the intelligence required to attack a specific target. It would make it nearly, or to virtually, impossible that this is a alone attacker sitting at home.
The Stuxnet worm infects systems through a USB Key, then goes on the hunt for specific industrial computers made by the Company Siemens. When it finds one it can lie dormant, waiting to sabotage or destroy an industrial process with potentially disastrous consequences.
We are used to Trojans and viruses on the Internet, but this is the first worm designed to damage the physical world and critical infrastructure in particular. Things like factories, chemical plants and pipe lines are all potential targets.
This week, Iran claimed computers at its Bushehr nuclear plant were attacked by the Stuxnet worm. It won't reveal how much damage has been done, but there have been numerous mysterious delays in its nuclear program. In the reading offices of cyber security company Symantec, they're monitoring the spread of the worm. When we look at the detections we've monitored, Iran is certainly one of the countries that's way at the top of the ... certainly, you know more detections from Iran than anywhere else, but to be fear we have seen it in other countries as well. It would tend to suggest that the Iran was the target, and there's something in Iran that obviously the creators of this threat were interested in. No one knows who's behind the worm and the exact nature of its mission. Some believe Israel's responsible, using expertise and military cyber intelligence to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. There's no evidence Israel's created the Stuxnet worm, but there are fears Iran will hold Israel or America responsible and seek retaliation. |