IT - The Stuxnet Virus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT - The Stuxnet Virus - Research Paper Example government. Examining the phenomenon in a more general context, it can be claimed that the emergence of the virus poses serious threats to the national security of any country due to its ability to identify and exploit the equipments that directly control critical infrastructures (Kerr, Rollins & Theohary, 2010). As a result, such virus could manipulate the security system of a country which could threaten the government’s ability to safeguard national security interests (Kerr, Rollins & Theohary, 2010). Therefore, there is a need for government officials to work closely with IT experts on building, maintaining and enhancing a country’s national security programs. In this paper, we examine, in more detail, the Stuxnet virus by highlighting on its primary components and capacities. After which, we revisit the current cyber security program of the U.S. to determine its key strengths and weaknesses. We end this paper with a recommendation on how the program can be reinforc ed. The Stuxnet Virus The Stuxnet Virus was first reported in June, 2010 by a security firm based in Belarus. Identified as the first malware that was specifically designed to attack the industrial control system of a nuclear power plant, the virus was allegedly created to either disrupt the country’s power supply or enrich the plant’s uranium content. Studying the primary capacities of the Stuxnet Virus, Thabet (n.d.) purported that the malware attacked and disrupted a Microsoft Windows-based application that is employed by the ICS of the nuclear plant. The worm spread through an air-gapped network either through a removable device like thumb drive or through Internet connection. IT experts found it difficult to pinpoint the geographic origin of the malware, since cyber attackers often used sophisticated methods like peer-to-peer networking or spoofing IT address to prevent identification (Thabet, n.d.). Some security analysts speculated that the Stuxnet Virus could h ave been developed by an insider from Siemens who had direct access and knowledge of the ICS. However, others contended that the sophistication of the virus’s code could suggest that an entire state was behind the development of the worm — either through proxy computer specialists or through the government’s own military capabilities (Thabet, n.d.). For this matter, some critics named Israel as the mastermind behind this virus. A report by the New York Times opined that Stuxnet was a joint U.S. - Israeli operation t hat was tested by Israel on industrial control systems at the Dimona nuclear complex during the 2008 (Kerr, Rollins & Theohary, 2010). At this point, it is worth noting that a malware such as the Stuxnet virus presents serious threats to national security. This is because modern critical infrastructures rely on computer hardware and software to run essential services, such as nuclear plant management; electrical power generations; water distribution and waste control; oil and gas refinement; chemical production; and transportation management. With this, once the ICS of a critical infrastructure facility becomes affected by a Stuxnet virus or by a similar malicious code, disruptions could hamper the government’s ability to provide domestic and international security, safety and other essential services (Kerr, Rollins &