Here's how CIA and Mossad disrupted Iran's nuclear program using a computer virus

In June 2009, Tehran was engulfed in protests over the results of a presidential election. Unrelated to these events, but equally consequential, the CIA received approval to initiate a cyber operation against Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. This operation involved deploying a sophisticated piece of malware named Stuxnet.

What Is Stuxnet?
Stuxnet, developed through a joint effort between the United States and Israel, is considered the world’s first digital weapon. The malware targeted Siemens Step7 software, essential for controlling industrial equipment such as centrifuges used in uranium enrichment at the Natanz facility.

How Stuxnet Was Deployed
To deploy Stuxnet, the US created a replica of Iran’s nuclear site in Tennessee. Experts studied the centrifuges to identify sabotage methods that would go undetected. The malware was introduced into Iran's air-gapped facility through an agent using a USB drive. Once inside, Stuxnet used a rootkit to conceal its presence and appeared as legitimate commands through stolen digital certificates.

The Spread and Impact
Despite initial setbacks, a more aggressive version of Stuxnet was developed. It used four zero-day exploits and could spread quickly across even air-gapped networks. It reprogrammed the centrifuges to destroy themselves while masking the sabotage as hardware malfunctions.

Stuxnet managed to cause about 1,000 centrifuges at Natanz to fail, leading to a temporary halt in Iran's enrichment activities. This delay set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by months or even years. Iran also intensified its investment in cybersecurity and offensive cyber capabilities following the intrusion.

What are the global consequences
Aside from its impact in Iran, Stuxnet spread to other countries, including India, Indonesia, and Pakistan, affecting industrial systems worldwide. In India, reports indicated that around 80,000 computers, including several critical infrastructure facilities, were infected.

To address the vulnerabilities exposed by the attack, India adopted the National Cyber Security Policy in 2013, focusing on the "protection of information infrastructure and preservation of the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information in cyberspace." The following year, the Centre announced the formation of the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre to further bolster cybersecurity.

Stuxnet, a significant milestone in cyber warfare, demonstrated the potential of digital weapons to cause physical damage. Although it temporarily set back Iran’s nuclear program, it also spurred global investments in cybersecurity measures. The ramifications of Stuxnet underscored the increasing importance of cybersecurity in protecting national infrastructure.