Matt Damon
Player Valuation: £60m
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100926/twl-iran-s-nuclear-chiefs-battle-cyber-a-3fd0ae9.html
Iran's nuclear agency is battling to contain a computer worm that experts say was probably designed by a hostile government and has the capacity to shut down industrial plants.
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.
It said experts from the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran met last week to discuss how to deal with the infection.
"An electronic war has been launched against Iran," said Mahmoud Liaii, director of the country's Information Technology Council.
"This computer worm is designed to transfer data about production lines from our industrial plants to (locations) outside of the country."
Iranian media reported there had been no significant damage.
The Stuxnet worm is described by experts as the most complex piece of malware ever designed.
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.
Alan Bentley, senior vice president of IT security company Lumension, told Sky News Online: "The worrying thing about Stuxnet is that mischief or financial reward wasn't its purpose, it was aimed right at the heart of a critical infrastructure.
"Stuxnet isn't just another piece of malware. It is the most refined piece of malware ever discovered."
The worm was discovered in July and attacks were reported primarily in Iran but other countries such as Pakistan and Indonesia have been affected.
The high the number of infections in Iran have led some to conclude that the worm may have been designed in the US or Israel to disable Iran's controversial nuclear facilities.
Technology security provider Symantec told the Financial Times it would have taken a team of 10 specialised programmers about six months of full-time work to design Stuxnet.
"Government organisations across the world need to think carefully about how they are protecting their power stations, water plants and industrial units, from malicious attack," Mr Bentley added.
Recall my previous post:
http://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/t...ry-reveals-2008-attack-by-foreign-spy-service
US Military reveals 2008 attack by foreign spy service
Secret US military computers 'cyber attacked' in 2008
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11088658
"The US military operates 15,000 networks and seven million computers across the world that are probed by attackers thousands of times a day, Mr Lynn said."
"The Pentagon has consolidated its cyber defence operations into a single command structure, which began operations in May."
Is this the first case of the new Cyber Defence Command conducting a retaliatory strike on a foreign power? One to send a message to the regime following last week's comments at the UN ?
I'd speculate yes it is. One in which other allied nations had either knowledge of and participated in.
The ethics of this? Given that the US had already suffered an attack on its military network infrastructure in 2008. - understandable. And preventative of further attacks by Iran.
Iran's nuclear agency is battling to contain a computer worm that experts say was probably designed by a hostile government and has the capacity to shut down industrial plants.
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.
It said experts from the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran met last week to discuss how to deal with the infection.
"An electronic war has been launched against Iran," said Mahmoud Liaii, director of the country's Information Technology Council.
"This computer worm is designed to transfer data about production lines from our industrial plants to (locations) outside of the country."
Iranian media reported there had been no significant damage.
The Stuxnet worm is described by experts as the most complex piece of malware ever designed.
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.
Alan Bentley, senior vice president of IT security company Lumension, told Sky News Online: "The worrying thing about Stuxnet is that mischief or financial reward wasn't its purpose, it was aimed right at the heart of a critical infrastructure.
"Stuxnet isn't just another piece of malware. It is the most refined piece of malware ever discovered."
The worm was discovered in July and attacks were reported primarily in Iran but other countries such as Pakistan and Indonesia have been affected.
The high the number of infections in Iran have led some to conclude that the worm may have been designed in the US or Israel to disable Iran's controversial nuclear facilities.
Technology security provider Symantec told the Financial Times it would have taken a team of 10 specialised programmers about six months of full-time work to design Stuxnet.
"Government organisations across the world need to think carefully about how they are protecting their power stations, water plants and industrial units, from malicious attack," Mr Bentley added.
Recall my previous post:
http://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/t...ry-reveals-2008-attack-by-foreign-spy-service
US Military reveals 2008 attack by foreign spy service
Secret US military computers 'cyber attacked' in 2008
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11088658
"The US military operates 15,000 networks and seven million computers across the world that are probed by attackers thousands of times a day, Mr Lynn said."
"The Pentagon has consolidated its cyber defence operations into a single command structure, which began operations in May."
Is this the first case of the new Cyber Defence Command conducting a retaliatory strike on a foreign power? One to send a message to the regime following last week's comments at the UN ?
I'd speculate yes it is. One in which other allied nations had either knowledge of and participated in.
The ethics of this? Given that the US had already suffered an attack on its military network infrastructure in 2008. - understandable. And preventative of further attacks by Iran.
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