Stuxnet

A recent story on NPR featured a discussion of what's known about a destructive cyberworm called Stuxnet. Officials can't tell you what Stuxnet stands for, that's top secret. The malware appears to have been created for, and succeeded at, knocking out critical components of an Iranian nuclear reactor.  Now the destructive and poorly understood little creepy crawly electronic invertebrate appears to have established residence in several U.S. computer networks as well as others around the world.

There is substantial opinion that the US may have had a hand in creating this computer bomb. Given that we're talking about something that a.) was created for an act of warfare, b.) has unrealized and terrifying potential to do harm, and c.) will now serve as a template for the spread of other such destructive devices throughout the world-- yes, odds are US "Intelligence" probably created the thing. Perhaps someday we'll all be sitting here in the dark, our laptops and desk tops reduced to paperweights and bookends.  Oh right. We'll have gone paperless and won't have any papers or books.

As for the top secret group that is responsible for this type of work, I'm thinking the US went straight to the top: A collection of high school and middle school malcontent gaming nerds. Afterall, who else has the ability to sit for 8 to 12 hours at a keyboard and screen trying to problem solve and destroy the enemy?  Hey! That's it!! Maybe we should move to have education included in the defense budget!