Stuxnet worm attacks 45,000+ computers including Iran's nuclear plants
A new, complex computer worm named Stuxnet has infected more than 45,000 computers including personal computers of staff at Iran's first nuclear power station and 15 other industrial control plants at undisclosed locations.
The Stuxnet worm has the ability to effect the real world, it's capable of seizing control of industrial plants. Stuxnet was designed and is tailored to target weaknesses in, a well known German company, Siemens systems - these systems are used to manage water supplies, oil rigs, power plants and other utilities.
This attack may have been provoked due to the fears of opposing country's that Iran's ultimate goal is to build nuclear weapons. A team at Iran's nuclear agency is battling to contain, and remove the malicious software from their systems, computer worm experts are suggesting that due to its complexity it could have only been created by a hostile government.
Not all, but the majority of the attacks have been targeted towards Iran, Iran has confirmed that 30,000 computers in the country's power stations, including the nuclear reactor in Bushehr, have been attacked by the Stuxnet worm.
The Stuxnet worm is described by experts as the most complex piece of malware ever designed.
Quote:Stuxnet isn't just another piece of malware. It is the most refined piece of malware ever discovered.
How it works
The Stuxnet computer worm is designed to transfer data about production lines from industrial plants to locations outside of the country. Once it gains access to a plant's computers, it hunts out specific software that controls operations such as the opening and closing of valves or temperature regulation.
By halting those processes it can cause extensive damage to nuclear power stations, power grids or other industrial facilities.
Government organisations, and other corporations across the world need to think very carefully about how they're protecting their power stations, water plants, industrial units and networks in general from malicious attacks.
Technology security provider Symantec told us that it would have taken a team of 10 specialised programmers about six months of full-time work to design Stuxnet. Though this isn't strictly true, it just gives you an idea of the scale.
Sian John, Symantec Wrote:"It's very sophisticated"
It reminds me of something you'd see in hacker films such as War Games. This is merely the start of what is to come.