Middle East News

Iran confirms "cyberterrorism," computers infected by Stuxnet

Sep 25, 2010, 13:16 GMT

Tehran - Iran on Saturday confirmed that its industrial computer system has become a victim of 'cyberterrorism' and that numerous computers were infected by the malicious Stuxnet software.

An IT official of Iran's mines and metals ministry told the Mehr news agency that 30,000 computers belonging to industrial units have already been infected by the virus.

Mahmoud Alyaie told Mehr that the Iranian industrial control systems are made by Siemens and the Stuxnet is designed to attack exactly these systems and transfer classified data abroad.

Several ministries have reportedly established a joint headquarters to fight the 'spy virus' and avoid further damage to classified industrial data and the country's infrastructure.

There were reports earlier this week that one of the targets of the malicious virus would be Iran's nuclear power plant of Bushehr in southern Iran, but such reports have not yet been confirmed.

ISNA news agency, however, reported that the Iranian Atomic Organization held a seminar this week to improve the organization's cyberdata, especially against Stuxnet, and 'explore ways to remove it.'