A sophisticated malicious computer software, or malware, described by security firms as a "new cyber-weapon," is attempting to infiltrate factory computers in China's pillar industries, threatening the country's national security, cyber experts warned Sunday.

Called Stuxnet, the worm was first discovered in mid- June and was specially written to attack Siemens supervisory control and data (SCADA) systems commonly used to control and monitor industrial facilities - from traffic lights and oil rigs to power and nuclear plants, according to experts.

"This malware is specially designed to sabotage plants and damage industrial systems, instead of stealing personal data. It will seriously threaten pillar industries in China," an engineer surnamed Wang at the Beijing-headquartered Rising International Software company told the Global Times Sunday.

"Once Stuxnet successfully penetrates factory computers in China, those industries may collapse, which would damage China's national security," he warned, adding that Stuxnet poses no harm to personal computers or Internet surfers.

Stuxnet spreads by exploiting three holes in Windows, one of which has been patched. So far, Stuxnet had been found not only in power facilities but in water purification and chemical plants that use the particular Siemens system targeted, according to Sean McGurk, director of the US National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC).

Globally, the worm has been found to target Siemens systems mostly in India, Indonesia and Pakistan, but the heaviest infiltration appears to be in Iran, AFP quoted software security researchers as saying Sunday.

Mahmoud Liayi, head of the information technology council at the ministry of industries, was quoted by the government-run paper Iran Daily as saying that "some 30,000 IP addresses have been infected by Stuxnet so far in Iran, but no serious damage has been caused."

German computer security researcher Ralph Langner, who has been analyzing the mali-cious software, suspected that the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran was the target, which Iranian officials denied, AFP reported. No damage had been reported.

The Stuxnet worm attack has sparked speculation about its origin, purpose and target.

Various so-called experts quoted by the Iran Daily suggested that the United States and Israel were behind the malware, evoking the "West's electronic warfare against Iran," AFP reported.

According to Wang, the Rising engineer, there might be large financial groups and nations behind the malicious software.

In a grimmer picture drawn by Eugene Kaspersky, co-founder of security firm Kaspersky, the Stuxnet worm could prove that "we have now entered the age of cyber-warfare."

"I think that this is the turning point … because in the past there were just cyber-criminals, now I am afraid it is the time of cyber-terrorism, cyber-weapons and cyber-wars," Kaspersky said last week at an industry forum.

Kaspersky said he believes that Stuxnet is a working - and fearsome - prototype of a cyber-weapon that will lead to the creation of a new arms race in the world.

Kang Lingyi, a Beijing-based hacker, said the Stuxnet malware has set off alarms regarding the country's network safety.

"We need to be highly aware of the threat and damage this virus poses. And as Internet connectivity grows drastically, companies' information technology departments should build effective emergency systems to combat computer viruses," he said, adding that the intelligence of Chinese hackers can be used as a tool to defend against cyber threats.

But Yu Xiaoqiu, an analyst with the China Information Technology Security Evaluation Center, downplayed the malware threat.

"The picture depicted by anti-virus companies is kind of commercial speculation," Yu told the Global Times.

"So far we don't see any severe damage done by the virus. New viruses are common nowadays. Both personal Internet surfers and Chinese pillar companies don't need to worry about it at all. They should be alert but not too afraid of it."

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