The Stuxnet worm, uncovered in 2010, was a cyber-weapon built to physically wreck machinery — quietly sabotaging Iran's nuclear centrifuges.

Rather than steal data, Stuxnet subtly sped up and slowed down industrial equipment while telling operators everything was normal, causing centrifuges to tear themselves apart. It is widely regarded as the first known instance of malicious code crossing from the digital world into real, physical destruction.