A new report from the US Department of Energy (DOE) has found that the country’s nuclear power plants are vulnerable to cyberattacks. The report, which was released on Thursday, said that the plants are at risk from a variety of threats, including malware, phishing attacks, and denial-of-service attacks..
The report’s findings are based on a review of the cybersecurity practices of 99 nuclear power plants in the United States. The review found that many of the plants have not implemented basic cybersecurity measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems..
The report also found that the plants are not well-prepared to respond to a cyberattack. Many of the plants do not have a cybersecurity incident response plan in place, and they do not have the staff or resources to respond to a major attack..
The report’s findings are a major concern, as nuclear power plants are critical infrastructure. A successful cyberattack on a nuclear power plant could have devastating consequences, including the release of radioactive material..
The DOE is urging nuclear power plant operators to take steps to improve their cybersecurity. The department has developed a set of cybersecurity guidelines for nuclear power plants, and it is working with the industry to implement these guidelines..
The DOE is also working with other government agencies to improve the cybersecurity of the nation’s critical infrastructure. The department is a member of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), which is a public-private partnership that works to improve the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure..
The NCCIC has developed a number of resources to help critical infrastructure owners and operators improve their cybersecurity. These resources include a set of cybersecurity best practices, a vulnerability assessment tool, and a cyber incident response plan template..
Critical infrastructure owners and operators should take steps to improve their cybersecurity. By following the NCCIC’s best practices and using the resources that are available, they can help to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure from cyberattacks..
