Existing guidance needs to be improved and new guidance developed to address gaps to ensure protection against the increasing complexity and scale of cyber risks against civil nuclear infrastructure, a report by the UK-based Chatham House thinktank says.

The report says increasing cyber risks are closely tied to advancements in technology, which in turn have helped expand access to nuclear energy to a broader range of countries.

It warns that key cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the civil nuclear sector stem from a range of technical and non-technical factors, including the use of older software, the targeting of personnel by “threat actors”, and the lack of sufficient sector-wide awareness of – and collaboration on – cybersecurity.