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Computer worm threatens world’s nuclear plants, and more

Stuxnet targets computer control systems made by German industrial giant Siemens commonly used to manage water supplies, oil rigs, power plants and other critical infrastructure.

Stuxnet a threat to critical industries worldwide: experts, Google hosted news, By Chris Lefkow (AFP) – 18 Nov 10, WASHINGTON — The Stuxnet worm that infiltrated Iran’s nuclear facilities poses a threat to critical industries worldwide such as water, power and chemical plants, cybersecurity experts warned on Wednesday.

Sean McGurk, the acting director of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), described Stuxnet in testimony before a US Senate committee as a “game-changer.”

Stuxnet, which was detected in July, has “significantly changed the landscape of targeted cyberattacks,” McGurk told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs….

Stuxnet targets computer control systems made by German industrial giant Siemens commonly used to manage water supplies, oil rigs, power plants and other critical infrastructure.

Most Stuxnet infections have been discovered in Iran, giving rise to speculation it was intended to sabotage nuclear facilities there, especially the Russian-built atomic power plant in the southern city of Bushehr.

Computer security firm Symantec said last week that Stuxnet may have been specifically designed to disrupt the motors that power gas centrifuges used to enrich uranium…….

“The real-world implications of Stuxnet are beyond any threat we have seen in the past,” Turner warned……

AFP: Stuxnet a threat to critical industries worldwide: experts

November 18, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, reactors