The experts at the Congressional Research Service have just issued a chilling report entitled The Stuxnet Computer Worm: Harbinger of an Emerging Warfare Capability. Unfortunately, the title is a statement; there’s no question mark at the end. The Stuxnet’s initial target was apparently Iran’s nuclear program, and it’s obvious that someone, somewhere is developing insidious computer programs that could change life as we know it:
From the perspective of many national security and technology observers, the emergence of the Stuxnet worm is the type of risk that threatens to cause harm to many activities deemed critical to the basic functioning of modern society…Depending on the severity of the attack, the interconnected nature of the affected critical infrastructure facilities, and government preparation and response plans, entities and individuals relying on these facilities could be without life sustaining or comforting services for a long period of time. The resulting damage to the nation’s critical infrastructure could threaten many aspects of life, including the government’s ability to safeguard national security interests.
The CRS report, made available by Steven Aftergood of the Project on Government Secrecy at the non-profit Federation of American Scientists, concludes that “this report will be updated as events warrant.” Somehow, that’s not reassuring…