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Stuxnet may have destroyed 1,000 Iranian centrifuges at Natanz
Jerusalem Post ^ | 12/23/2010 | Yaakov Katz

Posted on 12/24/2010 9:11:34 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Malicious computer virus accelerated, wrecked motors and may have decommissioned uranium enrichment centrifuges, think tank concludes.

Talkbacks (10) The Stuxnet virus that has infected Iran’s nuclear installations may have been behind the decommissioning of 1,000 centrifuges at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility earlier this year, according to a new analysis of the malicious software.

Prepared by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, the paper raised the possibility that the reported breakage of 1,000 centrifuges was caused by the virus.

According to the paper, the timing of the removal of 1,000 centrifuges was consistent with a statement made last month by Ali Akbar Salehi, then-head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and recently appointed as the country’s foreign minister, who confirmed in an interview: “One year and several months ago, Westerners sent a virus to [our] country’s nuclear sites.”

There are currently approximately 10,000 IR-1 centrifuges installed inside the Natanz uranium enrichment plant, according to the report.

(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: centrifuge; computervirus; nucleariran; stuxnet
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1 posted on 12/24/2010 9:11:36 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Maybe. But I have to say that I think this may be wishful thinking.


2 posted on 12/24/2010 9:13:13 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: Brilliant

This virus is so cool, i gotta get one myself!


3 posted on 12/24/2010 9:14:07 AM PST by 11th Commandment (http://www.thirty-thousand.org/)
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To: SeekAndFind

A justified act of self-defense on Israel’s (and the West’s) part.

Here’s hoping it set the Iranians back by a number of years.


4 posted on 12/24/2010 9:14:30 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (Merry CHRISTmas!)
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To: reagan_fanatic

RE: A justified act of self-defense on Israel’s (and the West’s) part.


Everyone is assuming Israel did it, but no one really knows for sure.


5 posted on 12/24/2010 9:15:24 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: rdb3; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; GodGunsandGuts; CyberCowboy777; Salo; Bobsat; JosephW; ...

6 posted on 12/24/2010 9:20:37 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: SeekAndFind

the US governments response should be...”none of my business. Sorry for your loss. Should have maybe purchased some anti-virus software.” (snicker-snort)


7 posted on 12/24/2010 9:22:23 AM PST by Dick Vomer (democrats are like flies, whatever they don't eat, they sh#t on)
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To: SeekAndFind

No, Israel won’t be calling a presser anytime soon and admitting guilt, but it’s a pretty good educated guess who’s responsible.


8 posted on 12/24/2010 9:24:15 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (Merry CHRISTmas!)
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To: SeekAndFind
GO GEEKS GO
GEEKS-1
Iran-0
9 posted on 12/24/2010 9:27:07 AM PST by DeaconRed (The Old Man is Down The Road. . . . . . .)
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To: SeekAndFind

Well it makes for a Merry Christmas all around. Lets all lift our glasses to the virus. Hip Hip Hooray!!!


10 posted on 12/24/2010 9:30:07 AM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: SeekAndFind
This is nothing more than propaganda to delay an attack on their facilities or to deceive other intelligence agencies.

The virus can attack systems that control the logistics.

The equipment would not be harmed.

Besides, these people are not as ignorant as the media suggest. It is the folks listening and putting validity in these stories I question.

The Iranians have contingencies for operational systems. Technical experts from various countries such as China and Russia have trained these guys.

Mossad is temporarily causing a hiccup for the Persians, but rest assured, their plans are moving forward.

I wouldn't at all be surprised to hear the announcement in the new year of a nuclear armed Iran with all the trimmings of military parade and so forth.

So, how many times over the last few decades has our intelligence fallen down on the job and have been taken completely off guard?

Let me help....dozens of times.

11 posted on 12/24/2010 9:35:19 AM PST by servantboy777
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To: reagan_fanatic
Here’s hoping it set the Iranians back by a number of years.

10% or less reduction, maybe not.

12 posted on 12/24/2010 9:36:16 AM PST by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Why are TSA exempt from their own searches?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Was the virus caught after it had done all the damage intended, or was it caught by Iranians before it could complete its total mission? It seem s like a lot of work just to destroy 10% of Iran’s capacity.


13 posted on 12/24/2010 9:38:14 AM PST by uscabjd
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To: reagan_fanatic
Here’s hoping it set the Iranians back by a number of years.

As I understand it, the only way that the Iranis can be sure that Stuxnet has been cleansed from their installations is to complete scrap all computers,the VFD's that control the centrifuge motors and any microprocesser controlled MCC devices between the motors and the Control System computers.

We just had to have the vendor scrap all MCC control and feedback devices (screwed up revision for Modbus) at a plant I'm working at, it's quite a job. And we are only in the mid stage of start-up operations.

14 posted on 12/24/2010 9:39:25 AM PST by woofer
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To: servantboy777
The equipment would not be harmed.

The centrifuges were harmed by overspeed and uncontrolled speed changes. Anything that spins fast is very vulnerable to this.

15 posted on 12/24/2010 9:40:24 AM PST by steve86
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To: steve86

So they’ve reported.

Please don’t believe all of what you hear.


16 posted on 12/24/2010 9:42:00 AM PST by servantboy777
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To: servantboy777
Between the State Department and the CIA it's a wonder we have survived.
17 posted on 12/24/2010 9:55:17 AM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: SeekAndFind

Author! Author!!

18 posted on 12/24/2010 9:59:48 AM PST by theDentist (fybo; qwerty ergo typo : i type, therefore i misspelll)
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To: servantboy777
correctamundo

The only possibility of harm is to the SCADA controls of the inverters that power the magnetic motors on the centrifuges. They could be programmed to send erratic voltages causing the rpms to vary.

That would decrease the efficiency of the extraction but would not harm the centrifuge at all.

Israeli PR is in high gear as usual, thinking the world is too ignorant to see through the bs. Yes, I would love to see the Iranian centrifuges destroyed, but no, this is all wishful and useless thinking.

19 posted on 12/24/2010 10:00:26 AM PST by gandalftb (OK State, 10-2, Go #14 Cowboys! Valero Alamo Bowl 12/29 Beat AZ!)
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To: servantboy777
The virus can attack systems that control the logistics.

The equipment would not be harmed.

I believe you may be mistaken , the virus attacks Siemans software which monitors / controls the speed of the enrichment centrifuges. It "spun" up the Motors to beyond their "RED" lines therefore damaging them

20 posted on 12/24/2010 10:02:59 AM PST by Robe (Rome did not create a great empire by talking, they did it by killing all those who opposed them)
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