Stuxnet is a sophisticated virus specifically designed to attack supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems manufactured by Siemens, a German industrial giant. These systems are commonly used to manage water supplies, power plants, and other industrial facilities, making the worm particularly dangerous for governments.
Who Wrote This Program?
Experts in cybersecurity speculate that Stuxnet may have been created by a government or a well-financed group of investors. The virus is too complex to be the work of a single hacker. Given that much of the damage occurred in Iran, many believe Stuxnet was designed to sabotage the country’s nuclear facilities.
Cyber-Attacks Getting More Sophisticated
Even if Stuxnet wasn't targeting U.S. infrastructure, its creation marks a new wave of cyberattacks. These attacks, including viruses and malware, aim at infrastructure such as power-generating facilities. This shift means we must now worry about more sophisticated threats, not just the defacement of web pages. Governments need to be prepared for attacks on valuable assets.
Can Stuxnet Infect Home Computers?
"Aurora had a zero-day, but it was a zero-day against Internet Explorer version 6," he said. "Here you have a vulnerability effective against every version of Windows since Windows 2000." Microsoft no longer supports Windows 2000 and other older versions still heavily used in ICS applications. Stuxnet can exploit MS08-067, the same vulnerability used by Downadup (a.k.a. Conficker), to spread. MS08-067 is a critical vulnerability in the Windows Server Service on Windows 2008/Vista/2003/XP/2000 computers, allowing hackers to gain remote control with the same privileges as a logged-on user.
Patches, Fixes, and Antivirus Available
Stuxnet targets physical processes, making it unpatchable. Detecting a sophisticated cyber attack aimed at ICSs is challenging for the ICS community. IT malware researchers have the best chance of identifying it. Therefore, collaboration between the ICS and IT communities is crucial. The ICS community needs to learn how to detect Stuxnet infections to ensure the reliability of control systems.
The only sensible advice regarding this virus is to have backup plans ready in case your system is affected.
