NEI: Nuclear plants not 'penetrated' by cyberattacks

Dive Brief:

U.S. nuclear industry officials say no nuclear power plants were infiltrated by cyberattacks reported last week, according to Reuters.
In a report released last week, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said nuclear power plants were among the targets of a hacking campaign that dated back to at least May.
But Nuclear Energy Institute spokesman John Keeley said none of the 99 operating U.S. nuclear reactors were “penetrated by a cyberattack.”

Dive Insight:

Reports surfaced late last month from E&E News that U.S. officials were investigating multiple cyberattacks code named “Nuclear 17” that unsuccessfully targeted nuclear power sites.

In their recent report, Homeland Security and the FBI said the nuclear power industry was targeted, but a breach would have required mandatory notification to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which would then notify the public.

NEI's Keeley told Reuters he said had no information on whether or not such cyberattacks had occurred.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Victor Dricks declined to comment on the joint report to the outlet, saying the agency does not comment on security-related issues.

Cybersecurity is a growing concern for electric utilities. In June cybersecurity firm Dragos said malware used to disrupt electric service in Ukraine in 2015 could be modified to target the United States.

In a 2015 report, Lloyd's of London said a cyberattack on the U.S. power system could result in damages ranging from $243 billion to $1 trillion.

Those reports appear to have caught the attention of electric utility executives. A Utility Dive survey of more than 600 sector executives at the beginning of 2017 revealed that security issues are the most pressing concern for the sector this year. In both 2015 and 2016, security issues ranked outside of the top five concerns.