Cybersecurity Concerns at Nuclear Facilities

MOUND MUSEUM LECTURE SERIES SPOTLIGHTS

Topic

Nuclear power plants produce about 10% and 20% of the world’s and the US’s electricity, respectively. The global nuclear energy demand is growing through the initiatives to expand clean energy resources, and therefore the threats of cyberattacks are increasing. Cyber threats to critical nuclear infrastructure, especially nuclear power plants, are real and constantly evolving. These threats impact critical global infrastructure, placing the nation’s economy, security, public safety, and health at risk. In addition, over the years, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems in nuclear power plants have matured from analog to digital systems. These digital systems also actively evolve as technology advances, bringing new risks and vulnerabilities. Therefore, attackers try penetrating nuclear power plants and aligning their attack scenarios through such cyber systems. Nuclear Power Plants are protected from cyberattacks using a defense-in-depth concept in which security controls are layered throughout the network. Understanding various risk assessment methods for cybersecurity in nuclear facilities is crucial to prevent such attacks. This CEL reviews the history of nuclear infrastructures’ cyber security, the cyber vulnerability of nuclear power plants, the defense-in-depth concept, the cyber security risk assessment methods for nuclear security, and some essential frameworks for designing and implementing cyber security plans for nuclear power plants.

Speaker’s Biography

Dr. Ranjbar is the Director of Online Programs at Oregon State University. She is a senior lecturer for the Nuclear Science and Engineering program. Dr. Ranjbar is also collaborating with the Radiation Detection Group on the development of radioxenon detection systems for nuclear explosion monitoring.

Also presented live via Zoom:

Time: Log-on Jan 28, 2026 between 06:30 PM to 6:59 PM EST (Log-on closes at 7:00 PM)

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For additional details on this presentation call 937-353-4457. The presentation is free and open to the public and has ample free parking.

Mound Cold War Discovery Center
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