Its complexity made it difficult to stop, and the virus prompted the creation of a coalition of experts dedicated to stopping its spread. Though Stuxnet was discovered in 2010, it is believed to have first infected computers in Iran in 2009.Ģ) Conficker Virus (2009)In 2009, a new computer worm crawled its way into millions of Windows-based PCs around the world, creating a massive botnet army of remotely controlled computers capable of stealing financial data and other information. Based on the available information, including data from the International Atomic Energy Agency, experts believe Stuxnet caused a large number of Iran’s centrifuges-essentially giant washing machines used to enrich uranium-to spin out of control and self-destruct. Specifically, Stuxnet was designed to damage machinery at Iran’s uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.
Win worm virus software#
While previous malware programs may have caused secondary physical problems, Stuxnet was unique in that it targeted software that controls industrial systems. As the stakes have grown, so too has the potential damage and destruction brought on by malware.ġ) Stuxnet (2009-2010) The arrival of Stuxnet was like a cartoon villain come to life: it was the first computer virus designed specifically to cause damage in the real, as opposed to virtual, world. Now, the hackers have gone professional, and their ambitions have grown rather than amateurs working out of their parents' basement, malware creators are often part of an underworld criminal gang, or working directly for a foreign government or intelligence agency. Rather than amateurs working out of their parents' basement, malware creators are often part of an underworld of criminal gang, or working directly for a foreign government or intelligence agency.Ĭomputer viruses have come a long way from the early days of personal computers, when teenage hackers competed for bragging rights, creating malware designed for mischief or random mayhem.