Nuclear security

New System Could Protect Nuclear Reactor

A scary yet realistic scenario in the digital age could involve the following: attackers, sponsored by a rogue organization or radical state, gain access to the control system of a nuclear reactor, a chemical reactor or a similar critical system.

A question arises: is the reactor system smart enough to know it is attacked? Most experts would answer that if an insider assists attackers, nearly all industrial systems become vulnerable. Worse yet, the system could remain defenseless and sustain physical damage from an attack.

“Security defenses against digital attacks are for the most part based on the concept of erecting walls or fences to stop unauthorized access from outsiders,” said Hany Abdel-Khalik, a Purdue University associate professor of nuclear engineering, who is leading the research team.