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Hackers Targeting US Nuclear Power Plants, Report Finds (cnet.com)

Posted by msmash on from the shape-of-things dept.

For the past couple of months, hackers have breached the computer networks of companies that operate nuclear power facilities in the US, according to a new report from federal law enforcement officials. From a report: One of the companies targeted was the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, which operates a nuclear facility near Burlington, Kansas, according to a joint report issued last week by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security and described by The New York Times. The report carried an urgent amber warning, the second-highest rating for the severity of the threat, the Times reported. Organizations running the nation's energy, nuclear and other critical infrastructure have become frequent targets for cyberattacks in recent years. In a 2013 executive order, President Barack Obama called cyberattacks "one of the most serious national security challenges we must confront."

4 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. We knew this was going on by evolutionary · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Okay this is not really that new. The tech community knews this was going on for sometime since power companies (for some crazy reason) are internet accessible. Even in the Snowden movie it was shown that the CIA was getting into power plants and hospitals of allies (now semi-allies?) for the purposes of "pressure" if they took actions the CIA decided it didn't like. So of course we've been targeted. Was probably one of the earlier targeted industries since the cyberwar with other countries started.

    --
    "Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
  2. Re:Air Gap by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Are the control systems at plants not isolated from the outside world?

    If not, why not?

    It seems obvious that they should be.

    Yes, they are isolated. But articles like this tend to hint that plants are hacked when in reality only the corporate business lans are involved in the attacked, not the isolated control systems. But headlines aren't so exciting if they reflect reality.

  3. Isn't this a repost? by clonehappy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think I've seen this same misleading bullshit article title literally once a month since 9/11/01.

    So the administrative (read: Windows) network got some malware at a nuke plant? Shocking. I'd honestly think I'd be more shocked if the headline said that a nuclear facility had never gotten its Windows network breached, because I've never seen one that hasn't been.

    Now, if the article showed that someone was fucking with the reactors or other critical systems, I'd be worried. But every article for the last 16 years has always been this same kind of clickbait garbage.

  4. Re:Air Gap by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 3, Informative

    ^You are talking off of assumptions, not experience. You could have checked just a little first, the link below an example of digital products that have been being installed in US nuclear plants for over that last 20 years. These systems don't need to be installed in containment where radiation levels are high, relay based controls are already installed in low rad environments.

    http://www.westinghousenuclear...

    Here is one on the Oconee Reactor Protection digital system, other plants are in the process of planning protection system digital upgrades;

    http://www.power-eng.com/artic...

    In addition, many US plants have installed digital control rod drive control systems. Once again, those controls are not located inside containment. You can walk right up to them, as most all controls, while the plant is running full power.