Chinese Cyberattack on U.S. Nuclear Agency Highlights Importance of Cyber Hygiene
Cyberattacks on any critical infrastructure should be alarming, but attacks on nuclear infrastructure are all the more so due to the potential consequences, including radiation leaks.
A China-sponsored hacker attacked the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration in July. The organisation is responsible for building and managing the U.S. nuclear stockpile as well as the nuclear power plants on U.S. warships and submarines.
Like other critical infrastructure, nuclear facilities and installations rely heavily on digital systems for a variety of functions. These include nuclear-reactor controls, safety and security systems within a nuclear facility, transportation of nuclear material, and emergency response protocols. Effective cybersecurity protocols and cyber-hygiene measures are important to prevent intentional attacks and accidents in a nuclear establishment. cyberattack on a nuclear facility can result in loss and tampering of data, which could disrupt safety and security operations, producing disastrous effects. Hackers inside plant networks would also be looking for internal documents to map vulnerabilities and weak points, both in terms of physical security and cyber liabilities. This could then be used later to maximise an attack’s effect.
No comments:
Post a Comment