Which motives could there be for the Stuxnet virus' behavior? This is more of a list to remember, in case more evidence of the behavior surfaces later. Note that there's no mention of which motives I think are likely - I don't know enough about Stuxnet or the people behind it for that.

Direct motives (possible perpetrators):

  • Plain sabotage. They simply don't like the Iranian leadership (US, Israel, Iranian political group) the idea of an Iranian nuclear plant or nuclear enrichment program (US, Israel, environmentalist group), that particular plant (local interest group), or the nuclear plant administrative or technological leadership (disgruntled workers).
  • Creating a new Chernobyl (doomsday sects).

Indirect motives:

  • Demonstrate the possibility of disabling a nuclear plant (black/grey hats, environmentalist group).
  • Increase tension between Iran and its political opponents (Iran, US, Israel).
  • Demonstrate skill, to get hired by a government agency (highly gifted person or small group).
  • Discredit Siemens (Update: sorry, the link is dead) software (competitor companies like Realtek (Update: sorry, the link is dead)).
  • Scare people / governments into supporting more strict Internet legislation (US, UK, Iran).
  • Scare governments into investing more in "cyberwar" agencies.
  • Harvesting of secret information (US, Israel, any nation that wants nukes).
  • Other misdirection: The obvious political motive could be a cover for what is happening in Indonesia or elsewhere (Update: sorry, the link is dead).