![]() Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approach to cybersecurity is to have all plants have protection up to their standards with the standards being uniform across the states," he added.Įxperts say cyberattacks are a growing threat now that sprawling computer systems carry the work of government agencies and corporations. “Nothing against either Iowa or Kansas, but those factors would tend to rank Palo Verde higher on the target list than the Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa or the Wolf Creek nuclear plant in Kansas,” he wrote in an email to New Times. "Nothing from the outside can control equipment that is used to operate the plant."Įven so, the sheer size of Palo Verde could make it an attractive target for hackers who want to gain access to information or sow chaos within a nuclear plant’s systems.ĭave Lochbaum, a nuclear energy expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a policy group that advocates for tougher regulations on nuclear power, said hackers weigh ease of access and the potential value of intrusion when selecting a target. "It’s important to understand that the computer systems that are used to operate the power plant are not connected to the Internet in any way," she told New Times. The Arizona Public Service electric company owns and operates Palo Verde, which is located near the town of Tonopah. Jill Hanks, a company spokesperson, emphasized a "comprehensive, multilayered program designed to defend the plant against cyberattacks." Keely added that in the event of a breach, the companies that operate nuclear plants have to notify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which then informs the public. This one-way road of information prevents a malicious hack of the variety that recently infiltrated the networks of Target and Home Depot, compromising customer data. Information does come out of them – performance factors, how much electricity they’re producing – but no information goes back in.” “They are in no way connected to networks, or LAN, or even the Internet. “These sites are true islands of operation,” Keely told Phoenix New Times. ![]() Post-9/11 security measures and isolated computer systems at Palo Verde “ought to give Arizonans a lot of comfort,” he said. John Keely, a spokesperson for the Nuclear Energy Institute, said that his industry’s 99 nuclear plants, including Palo Verde, were unaffected by the cyberattack. ![]() So when a report last week said that cyberattacks have targeted the information systems of companies that operate nuclear plants, it seemed certain that the nation's largest nuclear plant could be a target, too.Īccording to the New York Times, the only company that is a known target of the hacking attempts is the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, which operates a nuclear plant near Burlington, Kansas. is armed with three reactors that churn out 32 million megawatt-hours per year, providing power to millions of people from California to Texas. The largest nuclear power plant in the U.S. Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is a desert colossus.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |