'Zero Days': Creating the Character of Stuxnet

The transcript discusses Stuxnet, a revolutionary malware that autonomously spread and targeted Iran's nuclear centrifuges. It highlights the malware's unique characteristics, its global impact, and the challenges of depicting it in film. The discussion also covers the broader implications of Stuxnet in cyber warfare, including its role in sparking a cyber arms race and the potential vulnerabilities it exposes in interconnected systems.

What made Stuxnet different from typical malware?

• It spread autonomously without user action.

• It required user interaction to spread.

• It was designed to steal credit card information.

• It was only a theoretical concept.

How did the filmmakers aim to portray the Stuxnet code in their film?

• As a fictional element unrelated to reality.

• As a simple text on the screen.

• As a living, breathing character.

• As a static background element.

What was the primary target of Stuxnet?

• Iran's nuclear centrifuges.

• The global financial system.

• Personal computers worldwide.

• The United States' power grid.

What was the previously classified operation discovered during the Stuxnet investigation?

• Operation Cyber Shield

• Operation Nitro Zeus

• Operation Digital Fortress

• Operation Silent Storm

What is a potential negative consequence of Stuxnet's deployment?

• It initiated a new arms race for cyber weapons.

• It led to a decrease in cyber security awareness.

• It caused a global financial crisis.

• It resulted in the shutdown of the internet.