June 2, 2015
An international response is needed to combat cyber security threats to nuclear facilities from criminals and terrorists, Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cautioned Monday.
Speaking at IAEA’s International Conference on Computer Security in a Nuclear World in Vienna, Amano said plainly “terrorists and other criminals operate international networks and could strike anywhere.”
Pointing out that reports of actual or attempted cyber attacks are virtually a daily occurrence, Amano told attendees the nuclear industry has not been immune. “Last year alone, there were cases of random malware-based attacks at nuclear power plants, and of such facilities being specifically targeted,” he reported.