y2k all over again

[Booldawg]

Is this like when our video recorders were going to pack up on New Years Day 2000?

http://uk.news.yahoo....mages-re-3fd0ae9.html

[123everton]

Sounds more like WMD to me.

[ChuckFickens]

No, totally different..

Y2K was simply a lack of forethought by programmers and developers (probably because nobody believed at the time the systems they were writing would still be in use by the year 2000).

Stuxnet is possibly the most advanced and targeted computer virus/malware ever made and is truly frightening when the true ramifications of what it can do and what it is aimed at are realised!

I seriously hope Stuxnet was only ever written as a proof of concept and to scare people into addressing the problems it has uncovered, but I somehow doubt it!

[Gromit]

Stuxnet is the first use of Cyber Terrorism by a rogue state, namely Isreal. There are Old Testament names buried in the code, and the target is the Nuclear Plants in Iran. It is a very sophisticated programme and will have taken a group several months to write. We are not talking your normal spotty teenager geek writer, we are talking a state sponsred effort to wreak havoc on another country.

Obviously, it is highly irresponsible to release something like this into the wild, but when did Israel give a stuff about what the International community think.

http://news.cnet.com/...0_3-20017201-245.html

[Booldawg]

yes I did read elsewhere thats theres no way a 'virus' of this level of sophistication could be either created or released without governmental 'help'.

Oh well - at least its Israel. Lets all turn a blind eye ;-)

[Count-A-Strong]

Hasn't affected siemens share price
http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=SIEGn.DE&d=t

[jno]

unless they hack into the Pentagon, in which case we will extradite their autistic children.

[jake-the-peg]

Children?

He's 44 and has Aspergers not Autism

I'll bet you wouldn't want a 44 year old burglar with Aspergers that just stole your TV let off

[jno]

sorry, 'autistic spectrum disorder'. The rest was slightly tongue in cheek, but yes, if a burglar turned out to have Aspergers and depression, like McKinnon, I might well feel less vengeful about my TV.

[I.Don No]

maybe they should consider giving him a job rather than prosecuting him...lol

[jake-the-peg]

Generally that's considered a bad move in the security industry - it's a matter of trust.

Like asking a bank robber to design your safes

That's not to say that it doesn't happen - just that it can be a rather risky strategy.

Anyway back to Stuxnet - the idea that thiswas too clever to have been written by ordinary hackers is a bit of a laugh - I remember being there when we were analysing the Nimda worm - every 5 minutes we seemed to find a new and clever method of infection! There are definately attackers out here smart enough to put this together without the help of a government.

The hackers of yesteryear who were pimply youths that couldn't get a girlfriend have grown up got wives and mortgages and are funding them by writing attacks for cyber criminals often with links to organised crime.

The attack could easilly have been part of an extortion attempt or something like that but it could also have been part of a state sponsored cyber attack. The prevalence of it in the Middle East combined with the nature of the target and current politics is certainly enough to raise eyebrows.

But journalist have short memories - it wouldn't be the first accusation - Russia was accused of attacking Estonia 3 years ago

http://www.guardian.c...17/topstories3.russia

But it's unlikely to affect most of us - there have been very few infections in the UK and the 2 access vulnerabilities have been patched now.

[Booldawg]

So if the escalator doesnt work in the Arndale - you'll know why!