german nuclear plant Multiple computer viruses have been discovered in this German nuclear plant

[Reefa]

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Maybe taking that personal USB into work wasn't such a good idea…

 

The potential dangers of USB sticks when it comes to transporting computer viruses are well known, but even workers in highly sensitive environments like nuclear facilities can't always seem to prevent themselves from exposing their PCs to malware.

 

The operators of the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant in Germany announced this week that the station has been infected with numerous computer viruses during a routine inspection on the weekend.

 

Malware was detected on a computer installed with data visualisation software used in conjunction with the plant's fuel assembly loading machine. Viruses were also found on 18 removable drives in use in the facility, such as USB keys and external hard drives.

 

But the company maintains that there is no risk to the public or staff, as the operating software running on the infected system doesn't give it any actual controls over the fuel assembly loader, and the system is cut off from the internet – meaning that any viruses infecting the computer can't report back to base or attempt to download any additional malware.

 

The plant's representatives said all sensitive areas in the facility are isolated from the web to help protect against any kind of malware manipulation, and that IT staff had terminated the viruses after finding them in a check on Sunday. The company says it's stepping up security after the incident.

 

Among the viruses detected were "W32.Ramnit" and "Conficker" - two worms that target Microsoft Windows systems.

 

W32.Ramnit was first discovered on PCs in 2010, and is spread through removable drives, designed to enable remote attackers to access compromised PCs. Conficker is a more versatile threat that can propagate through networks, and is estimated by security software firm Symantec to have infected upwards of 3 million computers.

 

While both these viruses are considered relatively low-risk malware – and the incident at Gundremmingen has itself been graded as the least dangerous level on the International Nuclear Event Scale – it's nonetheless a disturbing occurrence. And it serves as a reminder of how easily even locked-down, critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants – where security is of the upmost importance – can't seem to keep technological threats out entirely.

 

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer for Finland's F-Secure, told Christoph Steitz and Eric Auchard at Reuters that these kinds of breaches were surprisingly common, where general malware finds its way into systems in specialised environments.

 

But Hypponen says the risk is generally low unless critical infrastructure has been specifically targeted, as the malware that targets popular systems like Windows and Android hasn't been designed to find its way around systems used in nuclear power plants and plane cockpits, for example, so poses little threat.

 

That said, the fact that workers are clearly still unintentionally compromising their own systems with malware on removable drives is something we need to be aware of. Germany's Federal Office for Information Security warned of the likelihood of such an event in a report issued just last year, and until staff in places like nuclear power plants take these warnings more seriously, more breaches like this will occur.

 

We can only hope the next incident is as consequence-free as it was this time around…

 

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[WALLONN7]

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Multiple computer viruses have been discovered in this Multiple computer viruses have been discovered in this German nuclear plant

 

@Reefa Title problem...

[vibranium]

Maybe someone forgot to turn on the metal detector at the employees' entrance.

[Reefa]

Thanks geezers ..Now sorted see this is the great thing about member interaction..peace..

[steven36]

The computers  in USA  for Nuclear are so old  they dont  make Malware  for them anymore they have floppy disk..

[WALLONN7]

5 minutes ago, steven36 said:

The computers  in USA  for Nuclear are so old  they dont  make Malware  for them anymore they have floppy disk..

 

Is it really a true?!

[steven36]

Just now, WALLONN7 said:

 

Is it really a true?!

Yes its true

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/whos-minding-the-nuclear-weapons/

[WALLONN7]

5 minutes ago, steven36 said:

Yes its true

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/whos-minding-the-nuclear-weapons/

 

[steven36]

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The UK’s nuclear deterrent is made up of four Vanguard-class submarines, each equipped with 16 Trident missiles. Each missile on Britain’s nuclear submarines has the destructive power of eight Hiroshimas. And what operating system does one of the world’s deadliest vessels use? A variant of Windows XP, according to The Guardian.

 

Microsoft ended security updates and technical assistance for Windows XP in 2014 and noted then that PCs without the latest security updates “will not be secure and will still be at risk of infection.” The UK’s Ministry of Defence dismisses criticism that the system is vulnerable to malware and viruses, insisting that Trident “remains safe and secure” against attacks.

But it’s not just the UK; the US Navy apparently pays Microsoft $9 million a year to keep Windows XP running. The tech-support deal lasts until July 2016.

 

In fact, the majority of the systems in the Wyoming US Air Force launch control center date back to the 1960s and 1970s. The Air Force insists the system is “extremely safe and extremely secure.” Perhaps it’s not that surprising that nuclear weapon technology is out of date; a study by the nonpartisan Stimson Center suggest it would cost the US about $352 billion over the next decade to update and modernize its nuclear weapons.

 

http://qz.com/602928/floppy-disks-and-windows-xp-nuclear-weapon-technology-is-hilariously-out-of-date/

 

This is a updated article  here about it.

[WALLONN7]

5 minutes ago, steven36 said:

http://qz.com/602928/floppy-disks-and-windows-xp-nuclear-weapon-technology-is-hilariously-out-of-date/

 

This is a updated article  here about it.

 

By the way, XP will live forever!!!

[pc71520]

Radiation loves Malware ...

[humble3d]

Generally, employees are the biggest threat to computer systems...not outsiders... 

[Fallon]

On 4/28/2016 at 6:40 PM, Reefa said:

the risk is generally low unless critical infrastructure has been specifically targeted

Meaning a Stuxnet like virus could be dangerous. Apart from such specialties 'Critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants' is mainly 'Critical' because of the highly contaminated nuclear waste that is produced, for which we have no permananent solution. As we move on to renewable energy sources, this will become ever more apparent.
The best shot at storing the waste has been storing on flat surfaces that have not changed over millions of years because of tectonics. Oddly enough, the Aussies, who were candidates for this option, were not eager to receive the world's nuclear waste.

[Cerberus]

On 4/29/2016 at 7:36 PM, humble3d said:

Generally, employees are the biggest threat to computer systems...not outsiders... 

Agreed, inside job. 

Probably gathering data not a virus that does damage.  Still an inside job.  That is the biggest problem with the cyber security field.