A sophisticated computer worm has targeted Iran's first nuclear power plant and infected as many as 45,000 computer systems worldwide. The worm, called Stuxnet, is a self-guided piece of malicious coding designed to interfere with industrial-scale computer operations. Akin to a virus in that it disrupts normal computer code, a worm is also designed to control the entire mechanical system run by an infected computer, including the operation of facility doors and moving machinery parts. Investigators are uncertain whether the attack was directed at Iran or whether Iranian facility security was simply more susceptible to an infection.
It is unclear who sponsored the implementation of Stuxnet. None of the affected industrial plants have reported major damage, but the dangers posed by this malware are still eminent. Security officials fear a third party may commandeer the worm and use it to target other facilities because it can easily be reprogrammed and transmitted on a flash drive.
Nevertheless, Sean McGurk, director of Homeland Security National Cybersecurity Communications and Integration Center, doubts Stuxnet poses immediate danger.
-compiled by Josh McNamara
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