The case in summary: The British nuclear plant Sellafield is guilty of a number of breaches relating to IT security. The nuclear facility was vulnerable to cyber attacks, according to an investigation. A whistleblower believes that Norway needs to worry more about Sellafield. The Norwegian authorities say that they have close and good dialogue with the British authorities about Sellafield. In June, the British nuclear plant Sellafield pleaded guilty to a series of IT security breaches. Last week the company apologized. They also admit that the security breaches may have threatened national security. The Guardian writes that. The breaches occurred over a four-year period, from 2019 to 2023. Vulnerable to cyber attacks An investigation concluded that 75 percent of the plant’s computer servers were vulnerable to cyber attacks. Information that could have threatened national security was withheld for four years, according to the British Agency for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). A gas-cooled nuclear reactor at Sellafield. The reactor was decommissioned in 1981. Photo: DAVID MOIR / Reuters In an internal report produced in court, which was produced by an external IT company, it is stated that any “reasonably skilled hacker or malicious insider” could gain access to sensitive information. A test of IT security showed that it was possible to download and run malicious files on Sellafield’s IT network via phishing attacks, without triggering any alarms. ONR is clear that there is no indication that the vulnerabilities have been exploited. Sellafield says the security breaches have been fixed. Facts about Sellafield Sellafield is a nuclear plant in Cumbria in north-west England. The nuclear facility stores and processes nuclear waste. It is the largest of its kind in Europe and has 11,000 employees. Among other things, it has the world’s largest plutonium stockpile. In 1957 there was a fire in a reactor at Sellafield, then called Windscale. This was considered the most serious nuclear accident before the Chernobyl accident in 1986. In the 1990s and 2000s, elevated levels of radioactivity were measured along the Norwegian coast as a result of emissions from Sellafield. The nuclear plant has received a lot of attention in the British press. Sellafield has long been on the Norwegian authorities’ radar. Source: Great Norwegian Lexicon, DSA, The Guardian. Sellafield are now waiting to see what kind of punishment they receive. According to ONR, the sentencing will probably come in September. Sellafield Ltd, the company that operates the nuclear plant, has not responded to news’s request to comment on the matter. One of Europe’s most dangerous nuclear plants Sellafield is considered one of Europe’s most dangerous nuclear plants, according to The Guardian. In a major excavation project last year, the newspaper revealed several objectionable conditions. Among other things, that it is leaking from a silo with radioactive waste. The leak will probably last until 2050. Parts of the Sellafield nuclear plant, located in Cumbria in England. The picture is from 2021. Photo: Havard Blekastad Almas / news According to the newspaper, Sellafield was also exposed to a cyber attack last December. The attack is said to have been carried out by groups with links to Russia and China. Sellafield has repeatedly rejected this. In court, however, it was pointed out that Sellafield’s operations centers were not sufficiently capable of sounding the alarm or reacting to test attacks that were carried out. – A ticking nuclear bomb Alison McDermott is a whistleblower who has been critical of Sellafield for several years. – Sellafield’s apology is a hollow and desperate attempt to save his reputation, after being caught in the act, she says to news. British Alison McDermott has been critical of Sellafield for several years. She is particularly concerned about what she believes is a toxic organizational culture at the nuclear plant. Photo: Private McDermott was hired as an HR consultant at Sellafield in 2016. She lost her job when she reported what she calls a “toxic” organizational culture. McDermott believes that the culture creates fertile ground for major accidents and misguided actions that can have serious consequences. She has also warned against a lack of IT security at the facility. – Sellafield is a ticking nuclear bomb. Such vulnerabilities have opened the doors to attacks, she says. McDermott is married to a Norwegian and has lived in Norway. She believes that Norwegians should also be concerned about Sellafield. – Radioactivity does not relate to borders. Norway must raise its voice and take action, before it is too late, she says. – Close and good contact with the British Sellafield has long been on the radar of the Norwegian authorities. Meteorological and geographical conditions make Norway vulnerable should a major accident occur at Sellafield, according to a report from 2009. A “worst case” accident could have serious consequences that could affect society, the environment and agriculture for several decades, it says in the report. In the 1990s and 2000s, high levels of the radioactive substance technetium-99 were discovered along the Norwegian coast, as a result of emissions from Sellafield. The emissions led to protests in Norway. Per Strand is director of DSA. Photo: DSA The Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (DSA) says that historically there have been challenges at the facility. They have visited the nuclear facility several times. – DSA has close and good contact with the British about challenges they face in Sellafield, says DSA director Per Strand. He says that it is very important to safeguard the safety of the nuclear plant. – It is crucial to uncover and correct conditions that affect safety and which could potentially have national consequences, says Strand. – We feel that the supervisory authority works systematically to close deviations and ensure safety at Sellafield, he adds. Published 17.08.2024, at 14.21
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Sellafield apologizes after several security breaches – may have threatened national security – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
