The Mother Virus Has Arrived: Is Blackenergy malware the future of cyberwarfare? - by Aaron Ernst

Five years ago, the most sophisticated cyber weapon the world had ever seen ravaged Iran's nuclear program. Allegedly developed by the U.S. and Israel, the complex virus infected the computer system that ran the centrifuges.

 Slight tweaks to the software caused hundreds of the centrifuges to self-destruct, setting the program back years. The malware was dubbed Stuxnet.

Traditionally, foreign governments have used malware to spy and steal. But this was something entirely different.

“Stuxnet, it is a weapon, it’s not 'like' a weapon,” says German computer security expert Ralph Langner, who was the first to identify how the virus worked. “It is a weapon because it was designed to cause physical damage.”

Now, Langner worries that Stuxnet could come back to haunt the U.S. Those same vulnerabilities in Iran's nuclear control systems that the malware exploited can be found in similar systems throughout America.

“These components are used in chemical plants, nuclear power plants, everywhere," Langner said. “We open Pandora's box without any idea, any clue, how we would deal with that when somebody turns that around.

And that turnaround is only a question of time.”

But there are signs the threat that Langner has feared may have already arrived.

Malicious code could theoretically be used to manipulate the controls of pipelines, water purification systems, power generators and other critical infrastructure, resulting in real-world physical damage. That could mean blackouts or disruptions to an entire city's water supply. In short, it could be catastrophic.

Read more: Is Blackenergy malware the future of cyberwarfare? | Al Jazeera America

Cyber Warfare: US nuclear regulator hit by two foreign cyberattacks in three years

It's no secret that the White House is eager to protect the energy grid against cyberattacks, but it's now clear that the government is speaking from bitter, first-hand experience. Nextgov has confirmed that foreign hacker groups broke into the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's systems twice within the past three years, compromising PCs and accounts by tricking users into installing malware.

A third, individually-launched attack also happened during the same time frame. While investigators couldn't determine the origins due to internet providers deleting their logs, the targets suggest that the attacks were government-backed -- the NRC knows the contents and health of reactors across the US. That logically draws suspicion toward China or Russia, although these could have simply been black market operators hoping to sell to the highest bidder.

The extent of the damage isn't listed, and it's not known if the NRC took any steps to bolster security and educate workers in the aftermath. However, the agency's Inspector General is planning another probe into possible attacks this year, and stresses that it's well aware of the dangers.

A strong firewall and staff reporting stops the "vast majority" of would-be data thieves, the Inspector's office says. While that's good to hear, it only takes one intrusion to steal a lot of sensitive info -- let's hope that security is tighter these days.

Read more: US nuclear regulator hit by two foreign cyberattacks in three years