"Stuxnet Worm" Hits more than 10,000 Systems In India| Stuxnet Worm

“Stuxnet, the first computer worm to impact critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, water treatment facilities and other factories, reaffirms that cyber attacks have evolved to extremely sophisticated activities capable of compromising utilities, government and private infrastructure, and corporate intellectual property,” said Gulshan Rai, director general, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team .

According to Internet security firm Symantec, it has already affected more than 10,000 Indian systems, across power units and petrochemical plants.

A piece of malicious software, Stuxnet infects any Windows system into which it comes in contact,it spreads through previously unknown holes in Microsoft’s Windows operating system and then looks for a type of software made by Siemens and used to control industrial components, including valves and brakes.

EFFECTS:
What’s crucial is that having affected the controls, the virus can transfer the effective command of these installations to a remote location, mostly overseas. Simply said, Stuxnet can shut down or transfer control of any installation as long as it has an intelligent electronic control systems.

REMEDIES:

“Symantec is working intensively with CERT-In to identify Stuxnet infected systems as well as their sanitisation.

We are continuously monitoring the online threat landscape to ensure that India’s critical assets are secured.”



India is the third largest infected nation, after Iran and Indonesia.”