Stuxnet Virus - 1181 Words

Stuxnet Virus According to counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke, Stuxnet was a weaponized malware computer worm. Stuxnet was launched in mid-2009, it did major damage to Iran’s nuclear program in 2010 and then spread to computers all over the world (Clarke, 2012). Type of Breach The Stuxnet is a computer worm, â€Å"it is a digital ghost with countless lines of code†¦ it was able to worm its way into Iran’s nuclear fuel enrichment facility in Natanz, Iran† (Clarke, 2012). A worm is a program that spreads copies of itself through a network and a worm can also spread copies of itself as a stand-alone program (Pfleeger amp; Pfleeger, 2007). How the Breach Occurred On June 17, 2010, Sergey Ulasen, head of a small computer security firm called†¦show more content†¦VirusBlokAda reported the vulnerability to Microsoft and Microsoft named the malware Stuxnet from a combination of file names (.stub and MrxNet.sys) found in the code (Zetter, 2011). One of the Stuxnet’s driver files used a valid signed certificate stolen from RealTek Semiconductor, a hardware maker in Taiwan, in order to trick the systems into thinking the malware was a trusted program from RealTek (Zetter, 2011). Internet authorities quickly revoked the certificate. But another Stuxnet driver was found using a second certificate; this new certificate was stolen from â€Å"JMicron Technology, a circuit maker in Taiwan that was — coincidentally or not – headquartered in the same business park as RealTek† (Zetter, 2011). The experts said that the virus was designed to target Simatic WinCC Step7 software; which is an industrial control system made by the German conglomerate Siemens. The system was used to program controllers that drive motors, valves and switches in everything from food factories and automobile assembly lines to gas pipelines and water treatment plants (Zetter, 2011). This happens to be the same software that was used at Natanz facility. The Stuxnet virus looked for industrial control systems and then altered the code in them to allow the attackers to take control of these systems without the operators knowing (The Stuxnet Worm: Symantec). In other words, the Stuxnet worm was designed to allow hackers to manipulate real-world equipment, which makes theShow MoreRelatedThe Stuxnet Virus Essay1724 Words   |  7 Pages1106CSIA3014041 August 3rd 2011 The Stuxnet Virus The Stuxnet Virus Abstract: What diplomacy could not achieve, sanctions could not silent, and for which a military option was not viable, a cyber attack quietly accomplished. Kim Zetter an investigative reporter with Wired Magazine online calls Stuxnet, â€Å"a piece of software that would ultimately make history as the world’s first real cyberweapon.† (Zetter, 2011, sec. 1) In his article, Is â€Å"Stuxnet† the best malware ever? Gregg Keizer ofRead MoreStuxnet Worm2136 Words   |  9 PagesSTUXNET Worm Webster University SECR-5080 Information Systems Security Author Note Certificate of Authorship: This paper was prepared by me for this specific course and is not a result of plagiarism or self-plagiarism. I have cited all sources from which I used data, ideas, or words either quoted or paraphrased. Abstract Discovered in June of 2010, a computer worm called Stuxnet was designed to attack programmable-logic controllers or PLCs that are used to control switches and valuesRead MoreCritical Safety Precautions On Computer Networks1281 Words   |  6 Pages3. Countermeasures Thousands of virus are created and propagated every day on the internet with new different mechanism, different new ways of spread, and taking advantage of recently discover bugs in the programs we use on a daily basis. Hence, as a CEO of a company or even to protect the computers in our homes, is our responsibility have the best measures we can afford to ensure the safety of our confidential information. In order to achieve that, we should consider three critical safety precautionsRead MoreCMIT 320 Network Security Paper Elizabeth Flaim960 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Network Security Paper - Stuxnet Elizabeth Flaim CMIT 320, Section 6380 Professor Charles Pak Due March 8, 2015 Introduction Technical Analysis Ralph Langner’s article on the Stuxnet worm discusses the hardware, distribution and targets of the attack. He also goes into detail regarding the outlook of future attacks and what we can do to prevent them. The Stuxnet attack was not executed to steal or erase information. It was carried out to physically destroy a military target; Iran’s NatanzRead MoreCyber Warfare Between The United States And Russia901 Words   |  4 Pagescomforting to think governments maintain some control over our major targets such as nuclear sectors, this historically has not been the case. Stuxnet was a computer worm which did major damage to Iran’s nuclear program. According to Norton by Symantec, a major anti-virus manufacture, on a page called â€Å"The Stuxnet Worm,† that â€Å"It is the first computer virus to be able to wreak havoc in the physical world. It is sophisticated, well-funded, and there are not many groups that could pull this kind ofRead MoreCyber Warfare Is A Major Concern For The Global Society1825 Words   |  8 Pagesweapon to have ever been created was the Stuxnet virus that was discovered in the late summer of 2010. To say it was a computer virus isn’t right because a computer virus relies on an unwitting victim to instill it, whereas a worm often spread over a computer network on its own. Stuxnet was a 500kb computer worm that infected the software of at least 14 industrial sites in Iran, including the centrifuges of Iran’s Natanz nuclear fuel enrichment plant. Stuxnet was an attack on SCADA system (They areRead MoreCanadas Pipeline System Has An Enviable Safety Record1933 Words   |  8 Pagesattacks began in 2009 employing phishing attacks on commercial software vulnerabilities, and the use of remote administration tools to collect sensitive intelligence about oil and gas fields. In 2010, the Stuxnet computer worm was first identified as a threat to SCADA systems. The Stuxnet virus spreads indiscriminately, but is designed to target only one system designed by one vendor. These persistent attacks against pipelines in combination with the emergence of SCADA-specific malicious softwareRead MoreMalware Detection And Machine Learning1732 Words   |  7 Pagesis one of the first malicious rootkits aimed at Windows Operating Systems (DuPaul 2015). Scareware: Malware designed to frighten or scare the infected user into purchasing something. They usually come with a user interface that looks like an anti-virus or other security program. They tell the user that a malicious code is running on their system and that they can get rid of such code by buying their â€Å"software.†In reality, the software does not do much other than removing the scareware. A good exampleRead MoreCyber Security Is Protecting The Internet1784 Words   |  8 Pagestrickster/hacker phenomenon where she believes that hacker ethics will change as they become more developed. Consider the story of Stuxnet, a malware that is called â€Å"the world’s first digital weapon† (Zetter, 2014). It is a nasty software that was used to mess up the processing of a computer, or to illegally gain entry to private information, also known as a virus. â€Å"In 2009 Iran had crossed a technical milestone and had succeeded in producing 839 kilograms of low-enriched uranium—enough to achieveRead MoreCyber Mercenary Group Known As The Desert Falcons 2824 Words   |  12 Pagesfrom the targets is usually of a sensitive or confidential nature and, therefore, is used by Desert Falcons to blackmail the people and organisations the information was taken from. The main technique used to gain this information is that of a Trojan virus embedded within a social engineering attack that gains the trust of the victim before unloading the Trojan virus’s payload. Attacks against targets include high ranking military personnel, financial, media and even government departments and pivotal