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Stuxnet worm a US and Israel project ?

One of the most serious security issues in recent years was the release of the Stuxnet worm. Latest reports from The New York Times suggest that the creation was a joint project between the US and Israeli governments.

The report suggests that the virus was created by the Israelis while the US helped to test and develop it further. Testing took place at the Israel Dimona site where they use almost identical centrifuges to Iran's for the creation of their own massive nuclear arsenal.

Stuxnet infects any Windows based computers and targets Siemens Step 7 industrial devices. Apparently the virus caused huge damage to Iranian centrifuges and their nuclear energy plant. This clever attack was an alternative option to bunker busting bombs which would destroy the plant. Destroying the equipment would set the program back many years but the political fallout was measured to cause significant issues. Clearly the concept of a virus attack meant that tracing the source proved much more difficult.

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