Posted on 09/29/2010 5:52:44 AM PDT by Errant
Tehran this week secretly appealed to a number of computer security experts in West and East Europe with offers of handsome fees for consultations on ways to exorcize the Stuxnet worm spreading havoc through the computer networks and administrative software of its most important industrial complexes and military command centers. debkafile's intelligence and Iranian sources report Iran turned for outside help after local computer experts failed to remove the destructive virus. None of the foreign experts has so far come forward because Tehran refuses to provide precise information on the sensitive centers and systems under attack and give the visiting specialists the locations where they would need to work. They were not told whether they would be called on to work outside Tehran or given access to affected sites to study how they function and how the malworm managed to disable them. Iran also refuses to give out data on the changes its engineers have made to imported SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, mostly from Germany. The impression debkafile sources gained Wednesday, Sept. 29 from talking to European computer experts approached for aid was that the Iranians are getting desperate. Not only have their own attempts to defeat the invading worm failed, but they made matters worse: The malworm became more aggressive and returned to the attack on parts of the systems damaged in the initial attack.
One expert said: "The Iranians have been forced to realize that they would be better off not 'irritating' the invader because it hits back with a bigger punch."
Looking beyond Iran's predicament, he wondered whether the people responsible for planting Stuxnet in Iran - and apparently continuing to offload information from its sensitive systems - have the technology for stopping its rampage. "My impression," he said, "is that somebody outside Iran has partial control at least on its spread. Can this body stop malworm in its tracks or kill it? We don't have that information at present, he said.
As it is, the Iranian officials who turned outside for help were described by another of the experts they approached as alarmed and frustrated. It has dawned on them that the trouble cannot be waved away overnight but is around for the long haul. Finding a credible specialist with the magic code for ridding them of the cyber enemy could take several months. After their own attempts to defeat Stuxnet backfired, all the Iranians can do now is to sit back and hope for the best, helpless to predict the worm's next target and which other of their strategic industries will go down or be robbed of its secrets next.
While Tehran has given out several conflicting figures on the systems and networks struck by the malworm - 30,000 to 45,000 industrial units - debkafile's sources cite security experts as putting the figure much higher, in the region of millions. If this is true, then this cyber weapon attack on Iran would be the greatest ever.
Happened here to = Happened to here
Darn, if only I knew SCADA and spoke Farsi I’d make a killing cleaning them up. And does the NSA have anything they want me to drop off while I’m there?
Go Mossad. And why should we not be backing Israel when they are so very clever?
I thought I had read the systems involved are not connected to the internet and the worm was planted with a a thumb drive.
It appears that Israel has more weapons at its disposal than jets. And this worm can burrow underground better than a bunker buster. And uses less fuel.
Rex, I stole your quote for my facebook status. Of course, none of my friends have a clue of what I am talking about.
Don’t worry mullah!
This won’t hurt a bit.
Some one should suggest to Ahmedinajad to pray for the expedited arrival of the 12th Imam so he could help them. Well…just a thought……just trying to be helpful.
Some one should suggest to Ahmedinajad to pray for the expedited arrival of the 12th Imam so he could help them. Well…just a thought……just trying to be helpful.
Unlike a “real” virus, you can custom make computer viruses to attack specific networks. My guess is that these viruses were implanted into the software at manufacture, not with a flash card—the Iranians are not stupid. They would put the same security in place that everyone else has.
The reason why the malware or viruses that are more commonly known spread like wildfire is because they are designed that way—to collect information from as many sources as possible.
It was probably activated remotely.
This is simply an amazing story of how dependent we are on the internet and simple technology.
You’re welcome.
I think I’m complimented! :)
And before the worm eats its way into your command and control systems you strike first.
But, I am sure the “off” switches built into the fighters and computers they bought will come in handy at that point.
If you ain’t building it yourself, you dont know whats inside.
The CIA is completely incapable of such genius. My guess is the Israeli’s or the Germans themselves.
Maybe if the Iranians offered Syria, Lennon, Gaza and the WB, free of islam, to Israel, they could get unstuck from the tar-baby.
Is this a indirect plea for assistance from the Vatican? Are they asking for a Exorcist? Are the mussies willing to convert to Catholic?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6y8fc3n-mI
Stuxnet will become self-aware. Paging Sarah Conner!
It’s like Der Furrier used to say: “Jewish science!!!” It’s an attack by the Joooos, you guys! They are poisoning your cyberwell!
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