Russia blames US and Israel for Stuxnet worm

Russia blames US and Israel for Stuxnet worm

news.techworld.com

Russia has for the first time laid the blame for the Stuxnet worm at the door of the US and Israel, describing it as "the only proven case of actual cyber-warfare."

In translated comments reported by the AFP agency, foreign ministry security department chief Ilya Rogachyov was blunt about the origins of a piece of malware that has mystified experts since first appearing in June 2010.

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Stuxnet 'Cyber Superweapon' Moves To China
Israel tested Stuxnet on Iran, with US help. Another "Conspiracy Theory" Turns Out To Be True.

The allegation has been bandied about here before, some are convinced that it was the US and Israel who unleashed this nastiness into the wild. But we still lack a solid indicator which appears undeniable.

However, in light of the saber-rattling and rhetoric about Iran, and the general climate between governments, this could become fodder for more angst and posturing. As if we didn't have enough to worry about.

The timing of the comments will be seen as significant in a week when Iran said it had asked Russia to help it build a second nuclear facility to complement the Bushehr plant that has caused so much tension with the West. The US suspects Iran of wanting enrichment technology in order to become a nuclear state.

Earlier this year Russia’s NATO ambassador Dmitry Rogozi, claimed that the Stuxnet malware had had an effect on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant serious enough to cause equipment to malfunction, risking a second Chernobyl.

It is clear that secrecy and subterfuge will be a major contributor to any conflict on the horizon.... the real tragedy is that the architects will not be the ones on the front lines.

Exactly who created Stuxnet remains unproven but the expert perception is that Israel was behind the malware, possibly aided by the US. In cybersecurity, where blame is often hard to apportion, perception can be powerful.

Perception can indeed be powerful... thanks for adding to it... /sarcasm

news.techworld.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Maxmars


Isn't that indeed interesting about the comment of Stuxnet "risking a second Chernobyl"?

A foreign power conducting nuclear contastrophies upon her rivals...

Well duh.

Israel had basically written their own ``Made in Israel`` in the Stuxnet code. (from what I had read on the subject anyway)

The whole story on NYT

But Israeli officials grin widely when asked about its effects. Mr. Obama’s chief strategist for combating weapons of mass destruction, Gary Samore, sidestepped a Stuxnet question at a recent conference about Iran, but added with a smile: “I’m glad to hear they are having troubles with their centrifuge machines, and the U.S. and its allies are doing everything we can to make it more complicated.”

By the accounts of a number of computer scientists, nuclear enrichment experts and former officials, the covert race to create Stuxnet was a joint project between the Americans and the Israelis, with some help, knowing or unknowing, from the Germans and the British.

The project’s political origins can be found in the last months of the Bush administration. In January 2009, The New York Times reported that Mr. Bush authorized a covert program to undermine the electrical and computer systems around Natanz, Iran’s major enrichment center. President Obama, first briefed on the program even before taking office, sped it up, according to officials familiar with the administration’s Iran strategy. So did the Israelis, other officials said.

Not a big surprise.

Yes... I suppose this isn't exactly a breathtaking piece of news conceptually. But they are introducing the accusation into the diplomatic mainstream as never before, and given the revenue they hope to gain from their technical services in Iran, I suppose US/Israeli efforts to derail it are seen in a harsh and unwelcome light....

I understand Iran made some saber-rattling of their own recently.... perhaps someone is drawing a line in the sand...?

New cybervirus found in Japan

Just have to wonder if this virus got out into the wild and contributed to the Fukushima situation.

Please note the date on the original article is October 5th, 2010.

Stuxnet, a computer virus designed to attack servers isolated from the Internet, such as at power plants, has been confirmed on 63 personal computers in Japan since July, according to major security firm Symantec Corp.

The virus does not cause any damage online, but once it enters an industrial system, it can send a certain program out of control.

Did they really think this could be contained?

Originally posted by Maxmars
Yes... I suppose this isn't exactly a breathtaking piece of news conceptually. But they are introducing the accusation into the diplomatic mainstream as never before,

& Unfortunately it won't get reported on as much as it should be. This should be on Breaking News.com or CNN but yet there's nothing, I hate how the important things get censored.

Umm....


THis is cool, and I love cyber warfare when covert, but this opens alot of problems up, we basically just green lit every tom dick and harry with a computer and a little hacking skill to start hitting us, and be able to stand on a moral high ground as retaliation

We should have insisted the Russians hush up.

State Deparment! Control the RUSSIANS!

They are just jealous our hackers are the best hackers!

reply to post by Maxmars


Being Russian Security Services have been linked to the bomb that was set off at the Us Embassy in Georgia, I dont think Russia has any room to talk about US / Israeli actions towards Iran.

However it is nice to see the typical double standard is alive and well.

Wow, the Russians are just now figuring this out?

Maybe they really are THAT far behind the rest of the world?

Originally posted by Hessling
New cybervirus found in Japan

Just have to wonder if this virus got out into the wild and contributed to the Fukushima situation.

Please note the date on the original article is October 5th, 2010.

Stuxnet, a computer virus designed to attack servers isolated from the Internet, such as at power plants, has been confirmed on 63 personal computers in Japan since July, according to major security firm Symantec Corp.

The virus does not cause any damage online, but once it enters an industrial system, it can send a certain program out of control.

Did they really think this could be contained?

Considering what is at stake, containment is not the answer. Replacing a lot of equipment is.