A Dizzying Journey Through the Stuxnet Wormhole
Funny you should ask that, Molly, I was just about to link to this. Once you start spinning hypotheses about that worm, it's hard to stop:
The Russians have sold much of the technology to the Iranians, in the face of weak and ineffectual protests on the part of our State Department. Is it possible that there is a quid pro quo where we let the Russians sell the technology (to get the hard currency), but the technology is actually sabotaged a la the Siberian Pipeline of the 1980s? The cover story now becomes a worm did the damage, to keep the Russian's hands "clean". If so, then it's possible that we created this. Absolutely we have people who know how to do this (I know some of them).
Or maybe the Russians did it - after all, it was a Russian antivirus company that "discovered" the worm. What the Russian's motivations would be are left as an exercise to people better at Realpolitik than I (perhaps our dread Czar?). Certainly the idea of nuclear proliferation into the 'Stans isn't something that the Kremlin looks to eagerly.
One thing that I'd bet cash money on, at long odds - the worm code itself will not provide clues that point back to its creators, at least not easy ones.
As for the last part, I agree. If the Israelis were behind it, I really doubt they'd have signed it, "Love, the Jews."
Anyway, here's my uninformed addition to the feverish speculation: Has anyone seen any actual evidence of this worm, firsthand? If I were dreaming up amusing little psy-ops to keep the Iranians off-balance, I might think of starting rumors about this worm, which would be easier and cheaper to do than actually devising it.
One more thought: Before everyone starts taking these stories too seriously and congratulating our intelligence services, or Israel's, or whoever else's is keen to take the credit, one comment I read in some chat room somewhere sticks in my mind: "No one ever says, 'It's a scheme so cunning, so devilishly inventive, that only civil servants could have devised it.'"
I wish I could remember where I saw that so I could credit it. Anyone know?
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May '10
Re: A Dizzying Journey Through the Stuxnet Wormhole
It's not beneath either the Israeli or American intelligence services, if what they have done in the past is a good description of their conduct.
May '10
Re: A Dizzying Journey Through the Stuxnet Wormhole
if the russians had done it they would have left clues that pointed to the USA or Israel.
Sep '10
Re: A Dizzying Journey Through the Stuxnet Wormhole
http://vmyths.com/2010/09/27/sans/
The entire computer virus industry is a hoax driven industry, and they've coughed up another hair ball over a virus that's been around for awhile.
No need to thank me.
Re: A Dizzying Journey Through the Stuxnet Wormhole
And if the Americans or the Israelis had done it, they would have left clues that pointed to the clues pointing their way actually being clues seeded by the Russians, you see. But wait, there's more! My secret informer "Timothy Thompson" writes to remind me of this article in Forbes: Did The Stuxnet Worm Kill India’s INSAT-4B Satellite? If so, it could be a worm from China. Or a worm from Pakistan designed to look like a worm from China. Is there anything this wily worm cannot do? Is Ricochet at risk? If the worm eats Ricochet, that will surely deflect attention from me, won't it?
Jun '10
Re: A Dizzying Journey Through the Stuxnet Wormhole
Then, Spy vs. Spy.
Now, Engineer vs. Engineer.
We may all be confused, but now we're confused at a higher level.
May '10
Re: A Dizzying Journey Through the Stuxnet Wormhole
Don't sell the civil service short, Claire. There are a lot of Sir Humphrey Applebys about. Remember, the political opposition in most Western democracies is only the opposition in exile. The civil service is the opposition in residence.
May '10
Re: A Dizzying Journey Through the Stuxnet Wormhole
Is it significant that Rico's policy against conspiracy theories is broken first and most obviously by an editor of same? ;-)