S Korean nuclear plant operator stages cyberattack drills
Source: Channel NewsAsia
South Korea's nuclear power plant operator launched a two-day drill on Monday (Dec 22) to test its ability to thwart a cyberattack, as the company said its computer systems have been hacked.
The Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd (KHNP) and the government said only "non-critical" data was stolen in the hacking, and that there was no risk to nuclear installations including the country's 23 atomic reactors. But experts in Seoul said they are very worried.
Since December 15, information on South Korea's nuclear reactors has been posted online four times - internal information on the facilities and employees' personal data. The last posting on Sunday had more details including floor maps and blueprints of the nuclear reactors.
"The latest information contains blueprints that are much more detailed. They disclose the location and the state it is in. Whether this is an action of an insider or an infiltration from the outside, the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power will not be able to escape responsibility," said Suh Kune Yull, professor of nuclear engineering at Seoul National University.
Experts said the bigger problem is the fact that KHNP does not know what more information the hacker has. Lee Hun Seok, president of Energy Justice Actions, said: "I guess more investigations will have to be carried out to find out how the information was leaked. But the fact that they (KHNP) don't even know which files are missing simply suggests that they haven't been taking care of their security-related information."
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