Bushehr nuclear plant malware free

The Bushehr nuclear power plant’s project manager dismisses rumors that a vicious computer worm targeting Iranian industries has hit computers at the facility.

Mahmoud Jafari reassured Iranian media on Sunday that the fuel loading process at Iran’s first nuclear power plant was “on schedule” without any problems from the Stuxnet computer worm.

“All computers and software programs in the plant are working normally and claims of a virus attack are unfounded,” Jafari told Al-Alam network

Jafari told IRNA that while Stuxnet, which is believed to have infected thousands of computers including staff members’ personal computers, none of the facility’s computers have been affected.

The windows-specific malware targets computers using SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) — a control system favored by industries managing water supplies, oil rigs, and power plants.

Last month, Telecommunications Minister Reza Taqipour announced that the ministry’s technical teams had posted the antidote to the malware, first identified in June, on the ministry’s website.

He stressed that the computer worm had caused no serious damage.