Based on the available information, including data from the International Atomic Energy Agency, experts believe Stuxnet caused a large number of Iran’s centrifuges-essentially giant washing machines used to enrich uranium-to spin out of control and self-destruct.

Specifically, Stuxnet was designed to damage machinery at Iran’s uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. While previous malware programs may have caused secondary physical problems, Stuxnet was unique in that it targeted software that controls industrial systems. As the stakes have grown, so too has the potential damage and destruction brought on by malware.ġ) Stuxnet (2009-2010) The arrival of Stuxnet was like a cartoon villain come to life: it was the first computer virus designed specifically to cause damage in the real, as opposed to virtual, world. Now, the hackers have gone professional, and their ambitions have grown rather than amateurs working out of their parents' basement, malware creators are often part of an underworld criminal gang, or working directly for a foreign government or intelligence agency. Computer viruses have come a long way from the early days of personal computers, when teenage hackers competed for bragging rights, creating malware designed for mischief or random mayhem.

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