Short Answer Questions (short answers should generally be at least three to four sentences in length. However, it is important to be as concise as possible when responding.) or you may choose to Upload a Two- Minute Audio or Video recording to answer the following questions.
Listen to “Episode #29: Stuxnet of the DarkNet Diaries podcast which can be found at https://darknetdiaries.com/episode/29/
Based on the podcast, answer the following questions.
- What was the intended target of the Stuxnet attack, and why was it deemed a high-value target?
The intended target of the Stuxnet attack was a nuclear facility in Iran. It was deemed a high-value target because Iran was expanding its nuclear capabilities, and the U.S. and Israel wanted to prevent Iran from making nuclear weapons.
- Who is believed to have created and launched the Stuxnet attack, and what motivated them to do so?
The Stuxnet attack was created and launched by the United States and Israel. The motivation for them to create and launch Stuxnet is to slow down Iran’s attempts to enrich their uranium hexafluoride gas and make nuclear weapons.
- How was Stuxnet able to evade detection for such a prolonged period, and what led to its eventual discovery?
They were able to evade detection for a prolonged period because they didn’t execute the same attacks each time, because it would make them look suspicious. They used zero-day exploits by exploiting an unknown bug in Windows and infecting it with Stuxnet. They also used stolen certificates from Taiwan so that they wouldn’t be traced back to the United States and Israel. The event that led to Stuxnet’s potential discovery was that the worm was on the loose and infecting computers beyond Natanz due to Israel adding spreading mechanisms.
- Which two U.S. government labs were utilized, and what specific activities occurred at each facility?
Oakridge National Lab and the Idaho National Lab were utilized. The activities happening at the Oak Ridge National Lab are that they were trying to find ways to destroy the centrifuges catastrophically, but also not get detected. The Idaho Lab was working on electrical components in industrial control systems.
- Which two U.S. Presidents were involved in the Stuxnet attack, and what were their respective roles in the process?
The two U.S. presidents involved in the Stuxnet attack were George W. Bush and Barack Obama. George W. Bush’s role in the process is that he was involved in the planning of a covert attack against Iran’s nuclear facility which would eventually be called Stuxnet. Barack Obama’s role in the attack is that he reauthorized the attack when he was elected. Under Obama, scientists found new ways to sabotage the centrifuges and created a new version of Stuxnet that had four zero-days compared to the older version that had one zero-day.