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'Stuxnet is only the beginning' for US cyber commander

'Stuxnet is only the beginning' for US cyber commander

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General Keith Alexander
General Keith Alexander

The US National Security Agency's recently revealed mass surveillance programs of users' phone and internet data have been the source of not small controversy, but wait till you find out what the agency is working on next — along with other US intelligence agencies and military groups. The NSA reportedly has developed weapons that will exceed the Stuxnet computer worm of 2010, which destroyed several Iranian nuclear centrifuges. That's at least the claim of a lengthy new profile of the head of the agency, General Keith Alexander, in Wired. The article notes that although Alexander has announced his intent to retire in 2014, he's amassed so much political power and so many programming experts under his tenure that whoever steps into his shoes will have a veritable cyber army at their disposal. However, writer James Bamford notes that US spy agencies have also helped foster a thriving industry for "zero day" exploits and backdoors that could be used against the US. Check out the full piece in all its gory cyber detail over at Wired.