Elcke’s Saturday Data Dive #05: Data as a weapon
In this four-weekly newsletter, I will keep you posted about the newest developments in the field of data. No worries, I’ll keep it simple. Everyone can follow along. Spoiler alert: We are going to talk about how data can do real damage to the world. Let’s dive right in!
Operation Stuxnet: the cyber attack that changed warfare forever
Today, I want to chat about cyber weapons. Because, it is possible to do massive damage by using nothing but 'data’. It is terrifying, but also fascinating to me, how cyber weapons, like viruses, are permanently changing the way wars are fought. This is especially clear in the war between Russia and Ukraine, but cyber weapons go way, way back.
In 2007, the Americans developed a daring plan to sabotage Iran's nuclear program with the very first cyber weapon with a huge impact: Stuxnet. A Dutch AIVD agent, engineer Erik van Sabben, managed to gain access to the heavily secured nuclear complex to install the program.
How that works? Well, something like this; The Stuxnet operation consisted of at least two variants. The first version required physical access to the complex in Iran, for example via a USB stick or possibly a water pump. The goal was to sabotage Iran's gas centrifuges by causing minor damage. This was done by closing certain valves with the virus, which led to overpressure in the centrifuges. The second variant was much more powerful and had the capacity to spread itself without the need for an agent to have physical access to the system.
Nearly a thousand ultracentrifuges, essential for enriching uranium, were eventually disabled. I spoke with PhD-student Wouter Scherpenisse about it all. You can read my story here.
Passwords then, now and in the future: 'Admin123 just doesn’t cut it anymore'
If there’s one major takeaway here, it’s that we need to stay vigilant about digital security. Hackers aren’t just active in warfare—they’re a threat to businesses, too. Companies risk losing access to their entire systems if they fall victim to a hack, and even everyday consumers have been facing increased threats recently. I spoke with cybersecurity expert Patrick Jordens about this, and he pointed out that far too many individuals and companies still rely on weak, simple passwords, which are simply not enough in today's world.
He mentioned that in the future, passwords might become a thing of the past as we move more towards biometrics and other advanced security measures. But until that day comes, it's better to be safe than sorry. So, upgrade your passwords, folks!
That’s it for now. Visit our website for more data geeky stuff. I’ll keep you posted for sure.
Elcke Vels - Editor Innovation Origins
Love the Stuxnet story and Wouter Scherpenisse's analysis!