How the Stuxnet computer worm was introduced into Iran’s nuclear plant

Stuxnet delivered to Iranian nuclear plant on thumb drive, CNET News, 12 April 12,  Citing U.S. intelligence sources, ISSSource says an infected memory stick was used to hit the facility with the worm that severely damaged Iran’s nuclear program.

by Daniel Terdiman  April 12, 2012 An Iranian double agent working for Israel used a standard thumb drive carrying a deadly payload to infect Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility with the highly destructive Stuxnet computer worm, according to a story by ISSSource.  Stuxnet quickly propagated throughout Natanz    — knocking that facility offline and at least temporarily crippling Iran’s nuclear program — once a user did nothing more than click on a Windows icon. The worm was discovered nearly two years ago.
ISSSource’s report yesterday was based on sources inside the U.S. intelligence community.
These sources, who requested anonymity because of their close proximity to investigations, said a saboteur at the Natanz nuclear facility, probably a member of an Iranian dissident group, used a memory stick to infect the machines there. They said using a person on the ground would greatly increase the probability of computer infection, as opposed to passively waiting for the software to spread through the computer facility. “Iranian double agents” would have helped to target the most vulnerable spots in the system,” one source said. In October 2010, Iran’s intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi said an unspecified number of “nuclear spies” were arrested in connection with Stuxnet.33 virus.

April 13, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, technology