Posted on 09/30/2010 9:16:19 AM PDT by Pan_Yan
Deep inside the computer worm that some specialists suspect is aimed at slowing Irans race for a nuclear weapon lies what could be a fleeting reference to the Book of Esther, the Old Testament tale in which the Jews pre-empt a Persian plot to destroy them.
That use of the word Myrtus which can be read as an allusion to Esther to name a file inside the code is one of several murky clues that have emerged as computer experts try to trace the origin and purpose of the rogue Stuxnet program, which seeks out a specific kind of command module for industrial equipment.
Not surprisingly, the Israelis are not saying whether Stuxnet has any connection to the secretive cyberwar unit it has built inside Israels intelligence service. Nor is the Obama administration, which while talking about cyberdefenses has also rapidly ramped up a broad covert program, inherited from the Bush administration, to undermine Irans nuclear program. In interviews in several countries, experts in both cyberwar and nuclear enrichment technology say the Stuxnet mystery may never be solved.
There are many competing explanations for myrtus, which could simply signify myrtle, a plant important to many cultures in the region. But some security experts see the reference as a signature allusion to Esther, a clear warning in a mounting technological and psychological battle as Israel and its allies try to breach Tehrans most heavily guarded project. Others doubt the Israelis were involved and say the word could have been inserted as deliberate misinformation, to implicate Israel.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Either way, it's a good thing...
Oh I get it, The New York Times and CNBC are NOW into the Bible Code.
Ester makes a good story, but I think there is a much more obvious clue to anyone Jewish.
“Myrtus” or “myrtle” in English is one of the four plants utilized during Sukkot (which was just now -— when the virus “went off”).
The myrtle represents the “male” and, is, in fact presented to the bride on the wedding night -— representing the phallic, masculine force at work in the universe.
In short, it was Jew geek code for “your f—ed” and timed to go off at Sukkot.
Interesting supposition. Given that any successful virus attack is reported far and wide in the news media, why would an IA need to have the virus report back?
“Oh I get it, The New York Times and CNBC are NOW into the Bible Code.”
Not very good at it, either. I think their desire for a female hero (which Esther certainly was), made them miss the much more obvious reference to Sukkot, when the virus went off.
They should have called the file “Sukka punch”.
Ok, that’s probably funnier if you’re Jewish.
“why would an IA need to have the virus report back”
So you know when you’re over target, of course.
The virus itself doesn’t need to report back - the news media seems to be doing just fine. And wouldn’t having the virus report back give a clue to where it originated?
Most interesting question is who leaked that this virus existed before it’s destructive work was complete? Anybody sophisticated enough to do this is sophisticated enough to give clues that mislead . . . or vice versa . . . about it’s origins. I wonder if the Obama Admin. leaked it.
“The virus itself doesnt need to report back - the news media seems to be doing just fine.”
Really?
So has the virus infected the Abadan refinery in Iran? And does the media report on the real-time the presser of the cracker unit in the refinery, right now? Will Fox news tells the Israelis when to flip the switch and cause it to implode on itself?
In seriousness, think about how stupid your post is.
This is a weapon that lets someone turn on and off machinery. The goal is to turn it on and off at various critical times so as to best cause it to damage itself -— or, better yet, in the case of the nuke plant, melt down and make a crater.
To get real time info like that, you need ability to “report back.”
"Good answer. Good answer. I like the way you think. I'm gonna be watching you."
The virus calls contacts servers for updates. It’s easy to tell its progress then.
Dude, I think Stuxnet has corrupted your politeness chip.
Otherwise you make a good point. Infected SCADA in an industrial setting is well capable of 'reporting' on itself. It can literally phone you up, though that's trackable. It can certainly leave subtler clues visible to satellites, UAVs or listening posts about what it has infected.
And that's all I'll say about that.
“The virus itself doesnt need to report back - the news media seems to be doing just fine.”
Not really. You need to know if, when, and how to strike. The media talks in generalities and has much less perfect information.
“And wouldnt having the virus report back give a clue to where it originated?”
Quite possibly. But these guys are good. And they may not care.
Deserves the full version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bfgrj_62-Y
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