Comments from Arbor Networks: UK and US to simulate cyber attack on nuclear plants to test resilience
March 2016 by Richard Brown, Director EMEA Channels & Alliances at Arbor Networks
Following the news that the UK and US will simulate a cyber-attack on a nuclear
power plant, to test the readiness of the government and utility firms later this
year, Richard Brown, Director EMEA Channels & Alliances at Arbor Networks, comments :
"We all understand the devastating impact incidents at nuclear facilities can cause,
for example, the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in 2011. With the energy industry also a
critical part of the UK economy, it’s a choice target for anyone looking to do the
country harm. Because of these two factors, it is imperative the government works
closely with the energy sector to improve infrastructure resilience and mitigate
against cyber terrorists seeking to develop the capabilities to launch an online
attack against nuclear plants.
"A proactive approach to security is the best form of defence, with people and
analytics tools being used to actively search for threats, instead of waiting for an
event to take place. Any test that focuses organisations on their incident handling
processes and communications is a good thing, as the more these are used and tested
the better our people and processes - and thus our defensive capabilities - become."