Subj : Was attacking Iran's computers a good idea?
To   : ALL
From : BOB KLAHN
Date : Mon Jan 17 2011 21:47:28


 Well, it's out, the worm that attacks industrial controls was,
 supposedly, developed by the US and Israel to damage Iran's nuke
 program. The former head of the Mossad said Iran's program has
 been set back maybe 4 years. Though he did not mention the worm.

 Ok is this a good idea? Last I heard the US intel agencies said
 Iran does not have a nuke weapon program. Has that changed? If
 not, why is the US believing foreign sources, and not the US
 sources?

 Why is the US taking risks like that for Israel, and Saudi
 Arabia, and other Arab, actually Sunni, countries? And the risks
 may well be greater than realized.

 I first heard of the Stuxnet worm on NPR, some weeks back. Then
 it was just speculation that Israel had developed it, low level
 speculation. The real issue was, it was turning up in industrial
 systems.

 See, the worm attacks industrial controls made by Siemans corp.
 Siemans is a German company that makes a wide variety of
 products, but is big in industrial controls. There are two
 general types of industrial controls. One is a control that is
 designed solely for industrial operations, and has little
 similarity to any computer that you would have contact with.
 That is the kind I am mostly familiar with.

 The other is a PC with softward and interfaces for industrial
 operations. It is typically run with some form of Windows.

 Now, I do not know which they are using for those centrifuges.
 If they are the PC controlers, then the worm is very likely a
 complex version of the typical computer malware. Since it was
 said to be spread through flash drives I suspect that is what
 they are dealing with.

 If it's the pure industrial type, it is unlikely the worm is in
 the controller itself, but in the computer that programs the
 controller. That would take a truly high level worm. Which may
 be why the Stuxnet is considered so complex. The programming
 computer would have an altered program it would feed into the
 controller, and that is how it would do the damage.

 Either way, once the worm is discovered, I doubt it will take
 much to alter it to attack controls for systems other than
 nuclear related.

 What would be the effect if factories all over the country, all
 over the world, suddenly started haveing breakdowns due to an
 altered version of the worm? If I were asked to create one, I
 would probably just have a time delay after it's inserted, to
 create difficulty in tracking it down. Then I might just have it
 freeze all the control outputs on at one time.

 If a machine is running, and suddenly the controls freeze up
 with the machine in motion, the results can be disasterous.
 Things don't move out of the way when they should, don't detect
 positions right, don't stop when things go wrong.

 I would freeze them on because turning them off might stop the
 machine, which could prevent or lessen the damage.

 With the PC type control the hacker has more flexibility. He can
 put in options to seek out the best way to do damage. If it's on
 the web he can even have it send back I/O info to find the best
 way to do the most damage.

 Now, this worm is out there, and not just in Iran. So, how long
 till hackers get hold of it. Wanna bet they don't already have
 it?

 And if Iran wants revenge, how many hackers can they buy for
 maybe a few million dollars? Maybe $20 Mill?

 On top of that, we have justified Chinese cyber attacks on our
 systems. We did it, why can't they? Cyberwarfare may well have
 begun, and we are the aggressors.

 Now as to the motives, that's another message.

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

.... There is a current shortage of plowshares and a vast surplus of swords.
--- Via Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
 * Origin: Doc's Place BBS Fido Since 1991 docsplace.tzo.com (1:123/140)

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