Connect the Dots (2)

The saga continues....

Most Sophisticated Malware Ever Targets Iran
A computer worm is drawing awed respect and fear from security researchers, even as they wonder how and why it was created.

Four things about Stuxnet are particularly noteworthy, according to experts consulted by ComputerWorld. One, it appears to be the most sophisticated malware anyone has ever seen. Two, because of that, researchers do not believe it could have been created by a private group. They think it's the handiwork of a nation-state. Third, it could control real world machinery, like, say, a power plant. Fourth, it appears to have targeted Iran.

Add all that up and you come to this realization: Stuxnet is a targeted, apparently untraceable weapon.
"What we're seeing with Stuxnet is the first view of something new that doesn't need outside guidance by a human - but can still take control of your infrastructure. This is the first direct example of weaponized software, highly customized and designed to find a particular target," he said. "The implications of Stuxnet are very large, a lot larger than some thought at first... It's the type of threat we've been worried about for a long time."

On July 17, 2009 WikiLeaks posted a cryptic notice:
Two weeks ago, a source associated with Iran’s nuclear program confidentially told WikiLeaks of a serious, recent, nuclear accident at Natanz. Natanz is the primary location of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. WikiLeaks had reason to believe the source was credible however contact with this source was lost. WikiLeaks would not normally mention such an incident without additional confirmation, however according to Iranian media and the BBC, today the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, has resigned under mysterious circumstances. According to these reports, the resignation was tendered around 20 days ago.
A cross-check with the official Iran Students News Agency archives confirmed the resignation of the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.
According to official IAEA data, the number of actually operating centrifuges in Natanz shrank around the time of the accident Wikileaks wrote about was reduced substantially .
On 07. July 2009 the israeli news-site ynet-news.com posted a lengthy piece on possibly cyberwar against the Iran nuclear programm. Intriguingly, even contaminated USB-Sticks were mentioned. In retrospect, the piece sounds like an indirect announcement of a covert victory to allies and enemies.

We live in an interesting world, don't we.....One wonders what is happening at this moment in time (???)
H

UPDATE: Foxnews   http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/09/26/worm-affects-computers-irans-nuclear-power-station/