Cyber warfare fears increased by Stuxnet Malware virus

Stuxnet Virus, a pernicious computer program currently wreaking havoc with the Iranian’s nuclear programme, may be regarded in some quarters as a welcome spanner in the works of iran’s officially denied nuclear weapons programme. But wider fears persist that the genie is now out of the bottle on an uncontrollable arms race in malicious software attacks.

These fears have gained traction following an eye (and balloon) popping presentation by an Irish computing expert. Using nothing more technical than an air pump and balloon Lima O Murchu was able to demonstrate that the Stuxnet virus was able to override the systems shut off causing the balloon to pop.
Industrial computers infected by Stuxnet malware in Iran have been cleaned and returned to their units, a top official said on Monday, following reports that the malware was mutating and wreaking havoc with equipment.

“The industrial computers infected by the Stuxnet virus have been cleaned,” Mohsen Hatam, Deputy Industry Minister, was quoted as saying on the state television’s website. Iranian media had said that Stuxnet had mutated and was wreaking havoc on computerised industrial equipment in Iran, with around 30,000 IP addresses infected. But Mr. Hatam said “all platforms have been cleaned and delivered to the industrial units” “The virus infected these computers because they lacked high security firewalls.” Stuxnet was “designed and dispatched about a year ago to gather information from industrial computers”.

Stuxnet, which was publicly identified in June, is a self-replicating malware found lurking on systems, mostly in India, Indonesia and Pakistan.