The Stuxnet Virus

“Stuxnet was not designed to steal money, send spam, grab personal data. It was designed to sabotage plants, to damage industrial systems. This is the turning point and we are entering a new world. The ‘90’s were a decade of cyber-vandals, the 2000’s were a decade of cybercriminals. Now we are entering the decade of cyber-terrorism, cyber-weapons and cyber-wars. ”

- Eugene Kaspersky
CEO, Kaspersky Lab

What is the stuxnet virus?
Stuxnet is the first discovered computer worm that has the ability to spy and reprogram industrial systems. The stuxnet virus worm targets computers that are used to manage large-scale industrial control systems. The malware attacks software programs that run systems that are used to monitor automated facilities such as factories, water treatment facilities and power generator plants.

Stuxnet Iran
The stuxnet malworm attack appears to target Iran's nuclear plants. If speculations that a nation state is behind the stuxnet attack are true, Iran became the first target of real cyberwarfare.

Stuxnet Siemens
According to Siemens, the stuxnet worm spreads via infected USB thumb drive memory devices exploiting a now resolved vulnerability in Microsoft Windows operating system.

The stuxnet worm can also silently steal sensitive intellectual property data and cyber experts fear the stuxnet code can be modified "to wreak havoc on industrial control systems around the world".

Stuxnet removal
The siemens website provides a thorough guide on how to detect and how to remove stuxnet virus.