http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-17/u-s-nuclear-plants-vulnerable-to-cy ber-attacks-analysts-say.html
U.S. Nuclear Plants Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks, Analysts Say By Jeff Bliss - Nov 17, 2010 1:24 PM ET U.S. computer systems that run energy, water, nuclear and manufacturing plants are vulnerable to computer worms similar to one that infected an Iranian nuclear power facility, cyber-security analysts told a Senate panel today. The Stuxnet malicious software, which was discovered in June, appears to have been designed professionally and took advantage of four previously unknown security breaches of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows software to infiltrate computers, the analysts said. "We are extremely susceptible," said Michael Assante, president of the National Board of Information Security Examiners of the United States Inc. <http://www.nbise.org/> , a security certification organization in Idaho Falls, Idaho. "You're talking about a very well-resourced and structured adversary." Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman <http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Joseph%20Lieberman&site=wnews&client=w news&proxystylesheet=en10_wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p &getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1&partialfields=-wnnis:NOAVSYND&lr=-lang_ja> and Susan Collins <http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Susan%20Collins&site=wnews&client=wnew s&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfiel ds=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1&partialfields=-wnnis:NOAVSYND&lr=-lang_ja> , the panel's ranking Republican, said they convened today's hearing in Washington to show the continuing concerns they have over U.S. safeguards for critical facilities. "The very fact that Stuxnet exists shows that we can no longer pretend that a cyber attack on our critical infrastructure is hypothetical and hyperbolic," said Lieberman, a Connecticut independent. He and Collins of Maine said Stuxnet-like attacks should give lawmakers more reason to support their cyber-security bill. The measure, co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Tom Carper <http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Tom%20Carper&site=wnews&client=wnews&p roxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields= wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1&partialfields=-wnnis:NOAVSYND&lr=-lang_ja> of Delaware, gives the president emergency measures to combat cyber attacks. The Stuxnet software shows the potential for future attacks, said Dean Turner <http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Dean%20Turner&site=wnews&client=wnews&; proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields =wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1&partialfields=-wnnis:NOAVSYND&lr=-lang_ja> , a security director at Symantec Corp. <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=SYMC:US> "The ability of these types of threats to have global reach is enormous," he said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
