Pierluigi Paganini
April 27, 2026
Fast16 is a pre-Stuxnet malware that tampered with precision software and spread itself. Evidence suggests links to U.S. operations during early cyber tensions. SentinelOne uncovered Fast16, a sabotage malware used in 2005, years before Stuxnet. The malicious code is written in Lua and targeted high-precision calculation software, altering results and spreading across systems. The malware […]
Pierluigi Paganini
September 02, 2019
Journalists revealed the role of a mole recruited by the Dutch intelligence in the US-Israeli Stuxnet attack on the Natanz plant in Iran. The story of the Stuxnet attack is still one of the most intriguing case of modern information warfare. The virus was developed by the US and Israel to interfere with the nuclear […]
Pierluigi Paganini
November 01, 2018
Iran’s strategic network was hit by a new destructive and sophisticated version of the Stuxnet cyber weapon, the Hadashot TV reports. According to the Hadashot TV, Iran’s strategic network was hit by a destructive malware-based attack hours after Israel revealed the Mossad had thwarted an Iranian murder plot in Denmark, and days after Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani’s phone […]
Pierluigi Paganini
September 07, 2017
While the first Dragonfly campaigns appear to have been a more reconnaissance phase, the Dragonfly 2.0 campaign seems to have destructive purposes. Symantec has spotted a new wave of cyber attacks against firms in the energy sector powered by the notorious Dragonfly group. The Dragonfly group, also known as Energetic Bear, has been active since at […]
Pierluigi Paganini
August 04, 2017
Microsoft released a new security update on June 17th in an attempt to patch a vulnerability which allowed the Stuxnet Virus to exploit Windows systems. The Stuxnet Virus which attacks Industrial Control Systems was first discovered in 2010 when it infected Iranian Programmable Logic Controllers. Stuxnet compromises controllers by first targeting Windows operating systems and […]
Pierluigi Paganini
April 21, 2017
A new report published by Kaspersky confirms that Stuxnet exploits targeting a Windows Shell Vulnerability is still widely adopted by threat actors. The case that I’m going to present to you demonstrates the importance of patch management and shows the effects of the militarization of cyberspace. Unpatched software is an easy target for hackers that can exploit […]
Pierluigi Paganini
April 18, 2017
Security researchers who analyzed the documents and hacking tools included in the last Shadow Brokers dump found a link to the Stuxnet virus. On Friday, the Shadow Brokers leaked a new bunch of files belonging to the alleged NSA arsenal. Security researchers who analyzed the documents and hacking tools included in the last dump have […]
Pierluigi Paganini
March 25, 2017
Findings of the MIMICS project conducted by Dragos Threat Operations Center show a malware posing as Siemens PLC application is targeting ICS worldwide. After the disclosure of the Stuxnet case, the security industry started looking at ICS malware with increasing attention. A malware that infects an industrial control system could cause serious damages and put in danger human lives. […]
Pierluigi Paganini
November 10, 2016
The effects of cyber-attacks against SCADA/ICS are well known, however, there is a great confusion when dealing with mitigation techniques. The Majority are aware of the impact cyber-attacks can have on Industrial Control Systems however, the reality in terms of mitigation techniques are shrouded with confusion and a reactive approach. Recent 0-day vulnerability dubbed as […]
Pierluigi Paganini
October 10, 2016
A German nuclear plant suffered a disruptive cyber attack, the news was publicly confirmed by the IAEA Director Yukiya Amano. According to the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Yukiya Amano, a nuclear power plant in Germany was hit by a “disruptive” cyber attack two to three […]
