Information Security of Nuclear Systems

Abstract

The emphasis on information or cyber security has increased drastically over the last several years due to the increased number in attacks at the personal, company and even state level. Billions of Euros have been lost due to these attacks and the amount of funding expended to prevent them is even greater. One particular area of concern is in the protection of nuclear system information assets. These assets pertain to both information technology (IT) and instrumentation and control (I&C). Nuclear power plants (NPPs) are especially concerned as they transition from analog to digital technology. Nuclear information security garnered global attention at the recent 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit and the 2013 International Conference on Nuclear Security: Enhancing Global Efforts. This paper discusses the information security domains at NPPs, the nuclear IT and I&C assets, and what these facilities are doing to protect themselves from cyber threats.