TERROR THREAT: UK Power Stations 'at risk' from DEADLY nuclear ATTACK

A nuclear engineer with fuel rod handling machine in nuclear power station, right

BRITISH nuclear power plants are not equipped to deal with terrorist attacks, a shocking new report has claimed.

 

Nuclear power stations across the UK are vulnerable to cyber-attacks from terrorists, a new report by Chatham House has cautioned.

The hugely influential Chatham House think tank claims the risk of a "serious nuclear cyber attack" is growing and the UK's power plants are woefully unprepared.

Many of the infrastructure control systems used in nuclear sites are "insecure by design" because of their age, the report has said.

 

And with terrorists, state-sponsored hackers and cybercriminals increasing their online activity – a cyber-attack on a British nuclear facility was "ever present".

The Chatham House report analysed cyber defences in power plants in the UK and across the globe for an 18-month period.

The UK's growing reliance on commercial software has increased the risk of an attack on a nuclear plant.

Worst of all – "even a small-scale cyber security incident at a nuclear facility would be likely to have a disproportionate effect on public opinion and the future of the civil nuclear industry".

And a devastating nuclear attack, which could release radiation into the atmosphere, could be triggered by a simple USB flash drive.

 

The terrifying Stuxnet virus used this method to breach Iran's nuclear facilities.

The computer worm, which is widely believed to have been built by the American and Israeli governments, slithered into the computer systems at the uranium enrichment plant outside Natanz, in Iran, and sabotaged the program.

Stuxnet would change the frequency of the converters in the nuclear facility – singlehandedly destroying the centrifuges in Natanz.

 

One expert claims the Stuxnet attack "was far more dangerous than the cyberweapon that is now lodged in the public's imagination."

"The nuclear industry is beginning - but struggling - to come to grips with this new, insidious threat," lead author Patricia Lewis concluded in the report.

The current threat level for international terrorism for the UK is assessed to be "Severe".

This means a terrorist attack directed at the United Kingdom is "highly likely"

 

The influential Chatham House report believes British power plants are unprepared for an attack

German industrial control systems expert Ralph Langner, discovered the Stuxnet virus

Converting UK power stations to digital systems has left the UK vulnerable, the report claims

There is only one threat level higher than Britain's current classification, dubbed "Critical", which means a terror attack is expected "imminently."

The current level is the highest since 2010. 

But Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, Keith Parker told the BBC that "security, including cyber security, is an absolute priority for power station operators."

"All of Britain's power stations are designed with safety in mind and are stress-tested to withstand a vast range of potential incidents," he said. 

"Power station operators work closely with national agencies such as the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure and other intelligence agencies to always be aware of emerging threats."