Corporate DispatchPro Tonio Galea
Hacking at the global order A fire that broke out recently at an important Iran nuclear plant is risking spreading into a major hacking conflict. Some Iranian foreign officials were quick to say that the incident, which caused significant damage and dealt a blow to the nation’s development of advanced centrifuge, was caused by a cyberattack.
Attacks of this type are not unusual, and Iran had again been the victim of the most well-known cyberattack: Stuxnet. In 2010, the malicious computer worm, destroyed numerous centrifuges in Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility causing them to burn themselves out. The latest blaze also occurred in Nantz and the news from Iran has drawn comparisons with the original Stuxnet attack a decade ago. Indications now are that Iran may respond to the attack in cyberspace, where it faces a comparatively level playing field compared with conventional military conflict. Recent unconfirmed reports, in fact, suggest that Iran hacked Israel’s water infrastructure. On the other hand, quoted Western security officials have played down the incident as a result of a cyberattack and expressed doubts on the Iranian capabilities to mount and sustain an effective cyber retaliation. Cyberattacks are relatively common, but they only get the media’s attention when the victim divulges the information. In mid-June, for example, the Australian government announced that it was under sustained cyberattack and that Australian businesses and governments were also being widely targeted. 23
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