Now there’s a headline that fills me with dread; the thought of a computer virus inside a nuclear power plant!
We all know how valuable nuclear power can be, but we also know how dangerous it can be if a plant was to suffer some form of catastrophic failure, and with practically everything these days governed by computers, it’s a worry to hear that a nuclear power plant could have computer viruses.
Simple viruses can shut down PC’s; turn off fans; overload servers; all sorts…
News reports say the viruses were found on office computers and systems that are used to model the movement of nuclear fuel rods. Very scary…
The firm responsible for the plant has said that the viruses posed no threat because the control systems are not linked to the internet. But still, the fact that viruses were even found in a nuclear power plant is really quite frightening.
Loads of viruses were found on a number of USB sticks which suggests that someone knew exactly what they were doing. Amongst the viruses found was a remote access tool which could have allowed someone access to all sorts from outside the plant. However, as the infected systems were not connected to the internet, they posed no threat.
A lucky escape? It certainly sounds like it…
The control of a nuclear power plant by a hacker is certainly something to be very very concerned about!