* Stuxnet leaks mean virus is available
* Energy sector espionage is on the rise
* Significant disruption could occur
By Daniel Fineren
DUBAI, May 31 (Reuters) - Global energy infrastructure is more vulnerable than ever in an escalating cyber war thanks to "sons of Stuxnet" electronic missiles, which can be created from the virus designed to sabotage Iran's nuclear programme.
Cyber espionage is on the rise, with Chinese hackers stealing field data and cutting-edge technology from energy companies around the world since at least 2009, according to leading security firm McAfee.
But the biggest threat to everything from power grids to digital oilfields may come from malware based on the Stuxnet worm, widely thought to have been sponsored by western government agencies, security experts say.
Cyber weapons like Stuxnet that can take control of plants appear to be more of an operational danger than the recently-discovered Flame virus, which seems designed to gather data.
"Stuxnet really showed people you could do this, that is the problem. I cannot imagine any major government agency not developing an offensive capability," Eric Byres, a leading authority on critical infrastructure security, told Reuters. Continued...
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